


If You Can't Handle the Heat...

by GeesCLUELESSgirl, thePetetoherPatrick



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Diners, Artist!Gerard - Freeform, Comfort, Cook!Frank, Death Threats, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Implied Little-Space, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, M/M, Mentions of self-harm, Smut, Waiter!Mikey, body image issues, ddlb, possible eating disorder, will have to add more tags as we go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2018-09-09 16:56:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 62,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8900377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeesCLUELESSgirl/pseuds/GeesCLUELESSgirl, https://archiveofourown.org/users/thePetetoherPatrick/pseuds/thePetetoherPatrick
Summary: Frank is the cook at Deidre's Diner...Mikey is the new waiter...Frank looked at the tickets on the track just under the serving window. Mikey just started working on his own and still made errors when he punched in the tickets. Frank shook his head and was just glad it wasn't real busy right now. "Hey Mikey, come 'ere a sec." he called out to the front counter, holding the ticket in question in his hand.Mikey moved through the tables, trying not to bump into anyone, or knock their drinks out of their hand like he did last night.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ***thePetetoherPatrick***  
> I will say that Momiji_Neyuki was not a fan of me saying I was going to borrow her Clueless!Gee for this project but her Clueless!Gee is the one that gave me the idea, so she was easily persuaded into helping actually write the idea. GeesCLUELESSgirl has been really fun to collab with so far and I hope you guys like this. 
> 
> thePetetoherPatrick plays Frank Iero and Andy Biersack.  
> GeesCLUELESSgirl plays both Mikey and Gerard Way.

                                                          

 

 

Frank looked at the tickets on the track just under the serving window. Mikey just started working on his own and still made errors when he punched in the tickets. Frank shook his head and was just glad it wasn’t real busy right now. “Hey Mikey, come ‘ere a sec.” he called out to the front counter, holding the ticket in question in his hand.

 

Mikey moved through the tables, trying not to bump into anyone, or knock their drinks out of their hand like he did last night.

 

"Yeah Frank?" He asked as he reached the servicing window.

 

“Mikey...it says it’s a table of one...but there are two of the same meal here...did they want the second one made later as a carry out?” Frank chuckled. He was sure he knew the answer, and that the answer was Mikey had accidentally double clicked the button on the computer, but he figured he’d at least give the guy the benefit of the doubt.  

 

"Uh...no?” Mikey chewed on his lip nervously.

 

“Do you know how to fix it? Or do you want me to show you?” Frank chuckled, he’d had to figure that out a long time ago to help new waiters and waitresses, it was a common error and they often got flustered and confused by it. 

 

"I err, could you show me please?" Mikey asked, his cheeks red. 

 

“Yeah, it’s not an issue, everyone does it their first time working with this damn computer on their own.” Frank nodded and walked around the end of the kitchen to come up front. He wiped his hands on his apron and tossed out the ticket on his way past the bin. “It’s really easy to double tap the thing because of the time delay sometimes.” Frank walked out to the front counter and looked at the computer screen. “Ok, which table is it?” 

 

Mikey looked out across the diner, he still had to count tables to know which was which. "Um...12, I think?"

 

“Ok, so 12 then…” Frank tapped at the table marked 12 on the screen and nodded when he saw the right thing come up. “All you do is…” he tapped a couple of things on the screen and looked at Mikey to make sure he was following and understood what he was being shown. 

 

"I think I get it..." Mikey said slowly. "So I tap this, then this, then...this?"

 

“Yeah and then this little window should come up for you to put in your code and password, to confirm that it’s you that’s changing it.” Frank nodded and moved so Mikey can type in the necessary information to fix the ticket. “Then you hit send to send it back to me so I have the correct order.” 

 

Mikey did as he was told and grinned wide when he saw a confirmation message come up. "That's so easy, I think I can remember that."

 

“Alright good, I can get back to work then. If there is anything else you can holler at me and if I don’t know then we’ll figure it out.” Frank grinned and headed back into the kitchen to flip the food he’d had sitting waiting to go onto the flat top to cook it. He shook his head and smiled as he fell back into the easy and familiar routine of cooking food.

 

Mikey went to step behind the counter again when the door opened and a guy and a gust of cold wind came inside. "Hi there, welcome to Deidre's. Would you like a booth or to sit at the counter?"

 

“The counter is fine,” he grinned at the waiter behind the counter.

 

Mikey blushed slightly cause this guy was very cute, but hid it by turning to grab him a menu. He turned back around and handed him the leather covered menu with a smile. "Can I get you something to drink first?"

 

“Just a Coke would be nice.” the guy winked at him and smiled as he perched himself on one of the stools at the counter and flipped through the menu.

 

Mikey went into awkward clumsy teenage Mikey mode and blushed the colour of a tomato as he turned around to grab a glass and proceeded to knock a container of freshly washed knives and forks over onto the floor. "Oh fuck, I mean darn I mean...urgh." He got down on his knees to pick up the utensils.

 

The guy looked at the waiter and chuckled lightly. He looked over the menu and couldn’t decide between a few things that looked good. He did a mental eenie meenie to decide before he looked up and saw the poor waiter still picking up the cutlery blushing the brightest shade of red he’d ever seen. He smiled at this.  

 

"Sorry sorry, I'll just be a minute." Mikey mumbled as he reached under the back counter to retrieve a fork.

 

“It’s alright, you new to this?” he asked gently, watching the boy and chuckling softly. 

 

Mikey nodded. "Yeah, but I'm only this clumsy around cute guys,  _ fuck _ !" Mikey's eyes went wide and he slammed his hands over his mouth as he turned even redder.

 

“Well you must always be clumsy then.” the guy laughed and grinned wider at the poor waiter who had, at this point, blushed about 70 shades of red.

 

Mikey ducked his head, trying to hide his blush as he collected the last of the cutlery and stood up again. He turned to the guy. "So Coke, right?"

 

"Yeah, that's what I said." the guy nodded.

 

Mikey nodded and picked up the glass again before going to the machine and filling the glass with Coke. He set the glass down in front of cute guy. "Do you want to order now?"

 

“Uh...yeah I think I’ll just get a burger with a side order of fries.” The guy nodded and handed the menu back to the waiter. 

 

"Ok, sure." Mikey went over to the order station and carefully typed in the order, making sure to only order one burger this time. 

 

Frank heard the ticket machine spit out a ticket and he looked up at it as he put the previous order up on the serving window and tapped at the little bell that was meant to tell the wait staff that the food was ready. Frank nodded as he looked at the new order and waited for Mikey. 

 

Mikey crossed to the window red faced and smiled at Frank. "I got that one right...right?"

 

“Yeah, looks right to me. One hamburger and a side order of fries, right?” Frank asked and looked over the little counter at Mikey. 

 

Mikey nodded then saw the other order. "This is the order for table 12?"

 

“Yep, get that out to them before it gets cold.” Frank chuckled and turned to put on the food for the new order. “Then you come back here for a second if you can, alright?”

 

"Ok Frank, you got it." Mikey carefully picked up the order and carried it out to table 12. He smiled at the customer and said to shout if they needed anything else, then headed back to the kitchen. "Frank...what's up?"

 

"You are a cute shade of red, who's got you all embarrassed and flustered?" Frank laughed. "It wasn't me cause I'm back here, so who is taking over my job of picking on you?"

 

Mikey's eyes went wide and he stumbled over his words. "I'm not I just I..." He huffed slightly. "A guy...a customer." He muttered quietly, eyes dropping to the floor.

 

"What'd he do?" Frank snickered.

 

"He exists!" Mikey groaned dramatically.

 

“Oh?” Frank tried to crane his neck to see out into the diner. “Cute is he?” 

 

Mikey nodded enthusiastically, though the look on his face said he was wanting to die. "He's a  _ God _ Frank...help me, please?"

 

“What? No one that comes in here is  _ that _ good looking. Where is he? I wanna see this shit.” Frank moved around the end of the kitchen to peak out past the wall into the dining area. 

 

"Don't look!" Mikey said urgently, trying to grab Frank and pull him back into the kitchen.

 

“No, which one is he?” Frank said and then spotted the tall guy sitting at the counter. “Wait...counter guy?” he asked quietly so only Mikey can hear him.

 

"Yes, now pleeeeeease stop looking and tell me how to not explode every time he looks at me."

 

Frank looked at him and ran back to the kitchen before he lost it laughing. He leaned on the counter and looked at Mikey. “Dude, don’t be a chicken shit, just talk to him. He’s just a guy.” Frank turned around and got the food. “Here...take him his food, and don’t be such a sissy.” He put the plate up where Mikey could take it. 

 

"Nope!...I'm just gonna give him his food then go explode quietly in the men's room." Mikey nodded decisively like that was decided then picked up the plate and left the kitchen.

 

The guy at the counter looked up as he saw the waiter coming out with his food. “Hey there cutie.” he smiled widely. “Looks good.” he said as the waiter set down the food. 

 

"Enjoy." Mikey managed to say as his cheeks practically burst into flames.

 

"So do I get a name to go with that pretty face?" the guy grinned lopsidedly at him.

 

"M-M-M..." Mikey snapped his head toward the kitchen door. "What Frank?...I'm coming!" Mikey shouted before running back into the kitchen and straight into the walk in pantry, closing the door behind him.

 

Frank arched his eyebrows at Mikey and then tossed aside his hand towel to go into the pantry after Mikey. “Mikey? What the hell was that?” he asked poking his head in.

 

"He called me...cutie..." Mikey whispered with wide eyes. "...and said I had a...pretty face."

 

“And you’re hiding in here because……?” Frank rolled his eyes at him. 

 

Mikey grabbed Frank by the front of his shirt. "Didn't you  _ hear _ me Frank?..." Mikey whispered urgently, his voice going up an octave. "He. Called. Me. CUTIE!"

 

“Yeah so? That just means he’s not blind and thinks you are cute...get back out there, hiding in here makes you look like a ridiculous kid.” Frank shook his head. “You have two options...get back out there or I will go out and talk to him for you.” 

 

Mikey's face went blank. "You wouldn't."

 

"You wanna bet?" Frank grinned.

 

"No..." Mikey sighed then frowned at Frank. "So you know I'm gonna beat you to death with a spatula later...right?"

 

“I mean...you can try...but you ain’t touching my spatulas, kid, now go or I will.” Frank laughed. 

 

Mikey rolled his eyes and left the pantry, returning to the front of the diner...luckily no new customers had come in while he and Frank were in the back. He looked over at the God with the long black hair, high cheekbones that could cut glass, piercing blue eyes and a load of tattoos...not as many as Frank, but who's counting. Surreptitiously wiping a little drool from his chin, Mikey walked over. "Enjoying your burger?" He asked, proud he didn't squeak.

 

“Yeah,” the guy nodded and set down his burger, smiling at the waiter. “It’s pretty good. So you were gonna tell me your name before your cook called you back?” 

 

"Oh err yes err I'm...I'm Mikey." Mikey stuttered out.

 

“Cute name for a cute guy, makes sense.” the guy nodded and chuckled. “I’m Andy, by the way.” 

 

Mikey blushed. "My  _ last  _ name's Way, by the way." He giggled. 

 

“Ha, that’s simple enough to remember. Well Mikey Way, I’m glad I decided to come in here today.” Andy smiled. “My last name is Biersack, if you were hoping to look me up on Facebook or something.” Andy winked at Mikey.  

 

Mikey suddenly found an ounce of courage...though if you asked him where from, he couldn't tell you. "Or I could just give you my cell number." He suggested, feeling his heart beat rapidly in his throat.

 

“ _ That _ actually sounds like an excellent idea, better than trying to use Facebook.” Andy smiled wider, he pulled out his phone and handed it over to Mikey after unlocking it. 

 

Mikey typed in his number and saved it under MikeyWayCutieX, then handed the phone back.

 

Andy looked at the contact and smiled. “Thanks.” He sent a text to Mikey’s number. “There, now you have my number too.” He looked up at Mikey happily. 

 

Mikey smiled shyly as he saved Andy's number as AndyTatts<3, then slipped his cell into his pocket. "Well, I should probably get back to work." He murmured, not making a move.

 

“Oh,” Andy looked down at his food. “Yeah I guess I’m kind of distracting you aren’t I, sorry about that.” 

 

Mikey looked around and saw that the only other customers in the diner were still eating and there wasn't anything that he really needed to do right now. "Well I could spare a few more minutes, I guess..." Just then the door opened and Mikey turned with a small huff to greet the new customer, but startled when he saw who it was. "Gee?...what're you doing here?"

Gerard Way, Mikey's older brother who'd been living and working away for the last two years and hadn't even shown his face for Thanksgiving or Christmases, pushed his hood back off of his head and grinned. "Miss me Mikes?"

"Of course you fucker..." Mikey grinned, running around the counter and hugging Gerard. "You don't call, you don't write."

Gerard chuckled. "Yeah, sorry. I missed you too." The brothers stood hugging in the middle of the diner.

Andy turned around to look at the guy that could break Mikey out of the little shell he’d been hiding in since Andy got there, he frowned slightly upon seeing the guy was cute. Not like cute-hot like Mikey was, but like actually grandmas-would-squish-his-cheeks cute. He turned back to his food and picked at a couple fries. 

 

"Have you been to see mom yet?" Mikey asked, raising an eyebrow at Gerard. The older boy shook his head, looking down at his shoes.

"No Mikes...she wouldn't want to see me anyway."

"How long you in town for?"

Mikey asked to change the subject as he dragged Gerard over to the counter and sat him down before setting about making him a coffee. Gerard huffed but didn't answer.

 

Andy looked up at this Gee guy out of the corner of his eye, still picking at his fries. He can’t fathom why Mikey would want this guy to go visit his mother. 

 

Mikey stopped what he was doing and looked at his brother, who was looking down at his hands. "Gee, how long are you back for?" He said seriously. 

 

Gerard looked up sheepishly. "For...good?" Gerard bit his lip, shying back a little as Mikey looked daggers at him.

"You mean you're not going back to your job?...the one you left home for?...the one you left town and didn't answer your cellphone for two years for?... _ that _ job."

Gerard looked like he was about to cry, or run away...or both. "I got fired?"

Gerard wasn't sure why every answer he gave came out as a question. "FIRED?!" Mikey yelled, and Gerard's eyes went wide.

 

Andy found himself beginning to wonder exactly how Mikey knows this guy enough to yell at him. He looked up at Mikey and saw he actually looked somewhere between concerned or upset and pissed off. 

 

Mikey took a breath, remembering that he was at work right now. "You loved that job, so why don't you explain to me what the fuck you did to get yourself fired."

 

Gerard sniffed slightly. "I told my boss no when he told me to do something." He said quietly, eyes dropping to his hands that were twisting in the bottom of his hoodie. 

 

Andy had the extreme urge to ask what the boss had tried to get him to do but before he can he saw the head of another man poke out of the kitchen. Andy could only assume it was the cook or possibly the owner.

 

“What in the hell is all the damn yelling about, Mikey?” he demands looking at the waiter. 

 

Mikey's head snapped around, his eyes wide. "Sorry Frank. My err...my brother was just about to tell me why he got fired." 

 

Andy and Frank both went wide eyed. “You have a brother?” Frank said and finally settled his gaze on Gee.

 

Gerard had his eyes down still as he chewed on his bottom lip. Mikey saw he wasn't going to speak. "Yeah. Frank, this is my older brother, Gerard. Gerard?..." The older boy looked up. "This is Frank...my boss!"

 

Gerard's eyes went wide. "Oh!...oh God. I'm sorry, I should've waited til Mikey was out of work.  _ Please _ don't fire him because of me...please?"

 

“Woah, dude, I’m just the manager alright. And I wouldn’t fire him over this. There are only two customers and they are both taken care of.” Frank shushes Gerard. “Family comes first anyway. I just wanted to make sure nothing was wrong out here, Mikey never yells.” 

 

Gerard looked at Mikey incredulously. "You don't?"

Mikey flipped him the bird discreetly. "No fucker, I don't."

 

Frank laughed at the pair of them. He could see how they were brothers. He finally really looked at Gerard and it was all he could do to keep his jaw from dropping. He was beautiful and shy looking. His eyes are so green and he’s so pale in contrast to his longish black hair. Frank looked at Mikey to check to see if him looking at his brother had managed to go unnoticed.

 

It hadn't.

Mikey was looking at Frank with one eyebrow raised and a smirk on his lips. He took a second to watch Frank blush at being caught, then turned back to Gerard, who appeared to be relaxing as he thought his interrogation was over. "So  _ what _ did your boss want you to do Gee?"

Gerard was suddenly the centre of attention again and he felt like hiding in his hoodie. "He err...he told me to err...to decoratehisofficeinthenude." He rushed out quickly, not wanting to say it clearly. Mikey just raised an eyebrow in confusion.

 

Frank choked as the words came out of Gerard’s mouth and Andy’s eyes went wide again. Frank looked at Mikey to see how he was going to react. 

 

"What was that Gee?" Mikey asked seriously, having not understood his brother. Gerard frowned, biting his lip and digging his fingers into his jeans-clad thigh.

"I said..." He looked down embarrassed, his voice dropping low. "...he told me to decorate his office in the...nude."

Mikey's face went blank. "You said no?"

Gerard's head snapped up to look at his brother in disbelief. "Of fucking  _ course  _ I said no fucktard...that's why I got fired, remember?"

 

“What in the hell kind of place were you working in?” Frank asked and arched an eyebrow at him. 

 

Gerard looked shocked at being spoken to by someone other than Mikey. He swallowed and turned red. "I was a comic book artist..." He said quietly, eyes dropping to the floor. "I  _ loved  _ that job too."

 

Frank frowned. “Sounds like a cool job but not if you had to put up with shit like that.” Andy nodded silently in agreement. 

 

Mikey sighed, stepping back over to his brother. "So you got fired for saying  _ no _ to that shit?..." Gerard nodded. "Then I think you should sue."

Gerard looked up and shook his head. "He said that it was in my contract to draw or paint whatever I was told to...I asked a lawyer to look it over, and he said I don't have a case..." He leaned his head onto Mikey's shoulder. "Or a job."

 

Frank wrinkled his nose at that. He couldn’t really think of anything helpful to say though so he just sighed. He looked around at the diner. He furrowed his brow and then got an idea. He’d have to talk to the owner before he thought on the idea any further though. He sighed in resignation and headed back into the kitchen. He stood in his space prepping things and tidying as always, but from an angle where he could still see Gerard and Mikey, though he couldn’t see the other guy from there.

 

Gerard sighed. "Well you should really get back to work Mikes, before you get fired too."

Mikey laughed as he pulled away and went to grab Gerard's coffee for him. "That's true. Here, drink this while you're here. I've got another hour left then we'll sneak you into the basement so mom don't see you."

Gerard giggled. "Sounds like a plan Mikes...I  _ knew _ I could count on you." He accepted the cup and took a sip, relaxing with a smile as Mikey got back to working his shift.

 

Andy picked up his burger again to finish the last few bites, he’d already picked through his fries enough that there were only crunchy little bits left. He pushed his plate away and settled for watching Mikey work. He was actually really glad he’d decided to stop in today. He was glad he’d even noticed this place. 

 

After table 12 had paid and left and Mikey had removed the old guy's plate and coffee cup and wiped down the table, he walked into the kitchen, flicking Gerard's ear on the way passed and getting the finger in reply. "Frank, who's in next?...I'm finished in like..." He looked at his watch then looked back up. "...like 20 minutes." 

 

“It’s Josh in tonight.” Frank pokes his head out the serving window. “He should be here pretty soon I think. Don’t know, just count up your till and if he doesn’t get here before you leave I can hold down both for a while till I can get Tony to come in if I have to.” 

 

Mikey shook his head. "No Frank, I'll stay till he gets here. I mean what if you get a rush?..." He looked around the diner and saw that it was just him, Gerard and Andy. "It's not  _ likely _ , but it could happen."

 

“Mikey, Tony lives like five minutes away walking. I’ll be fine and you need have Gerard to take care of.” Frank shakes his head. “Besides, Josh still has time, who’s to say he won’t show up on time?” 

 

"Has he  _ ever _ ?..." Mikey asked with one sarcastically raised eyebrow. He sighed. "Well if you're sure."

 

“Josh is nowhere near as bad as some of the people we’ve had in here.” Frank chuckles. “I’m sure, it’ll be fine.”

 

"Ok then…” Mikey looked at his watch. "15 minutes and I'm out." He turned and looked at Gerard, who seemed to have fallen asleep with his head on the counter. He chuckled then took a breath and turned to walk over to Andy. He smiled shyly as he approached him. "You finished your food..." He said a little redundantly. "Would you like anything else?...a coffee?"

"Coffee?...someone say coffee?" Gerard said, sitting up quickly and nearly falling off his chair as he looked over at his brother. His hair was stuck to the side of his face. 

 

“No,” Andy chuckled. “I think I’m alright but your brother might want one.” Andy put the cost of the food on the counter and left a pretty good tip. “I’ll be sure to text you though, maybe we can hang out sometime, eh Cutie?”

 

Mikey blushed and giggled, biting his lip as he nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I'd like that."

 

Gerard raised an eyebrow from behind him, but said nothing, waiting to see what would happen next...he'd been gone too long to have the right to play 'protective big brother' right now, though that didn't mean he wouldn't play that part if he was needed.

 

“Alright, I look forward to it then.” Andy said, winking at Mikey before turning and heading out the door.

 

Mikey watched him go then turned to his brother. "What?!"

  
  
"Nothing Mikes...I didn't say anything." Gerard said, trying not to laugh. Mikey huffed.

  
  
"Good, then you can have coffee." Gerard grinned wide, eyes happy like a little kid at Christmas. Mikey rolled his eyes and set to pouring his brother's drink.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***thePetetoherPatrick***  
> I swear these long chapters will be the death of me but here you go guys, hope you enjoy it. ^-^  
> And as we bring in the new character of Tony...I play him, he interacts with the Ways more than Frank

                                                            

 

“I am seriously gonna kick Josh’s ass.” Frank muttered to himself. He’d managed to show up on time yesterday but today he was late and had just called in last possible minute to say he couldn’t make it. Frank groaned before he looked at the schedule to see who was off today. “Fuck…” He wandered up to the front and picked up the phone to dial Mikey’s number. He punched it in and waited as the phone rang. 

 

Mikey groaned as he was woken by Metallica blasting from his phone about a foot away from his right ear. He sleepily grabbed at the phone and tapped the fuzzy green circle on the screen without putting on his glasses so he could see who was calling at whatever Godforsaken time in the morning this was. "Wha?..."

 

He grunted. He heard a shuffling and grumbling noise behind him and turned to look, squinting and just about making out his brother, fast asleep and drooling on Mikey's spare pillow. He rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the phone, realising someone was talking to him. "Huh what?...sorry, I missed that."

 

“Dude, you free today?” Frank chuckled at the sound of Mikey’s groggy and half asleep still voice. “Josh bailed.” 

 

"Frank?..." Mikey reached blindly for his glasses and put them on, looking quickly at the too bright phone screen and seeing Frank's name and a picture of him sticking his tongue out for the camera.

 

"Err yeah, sure..." He looked over at Gerard then climbed out of bed without waking him and headed to the bathroom, continuing to talk quietly. "But is it ok if my brother comes with me?...mom wasn't too happy to see him and I don't think he'd want to hang here with  _ her  _ all day." He shut the bathroom door and went to relieve himself, his phone still pressed to his ear.

 

Frank grinned like an idiot. “Yes, your brother can hang out here as long as he promises to behave and not frighten the customers.” Frank chuckled. 

 

Mikey pulled himself out of his pyjama pants and aimed for the toilet. "Gee couldn't frighten a bunny...fact is he'd probably be the one to run away." He chuckled, starting his morning piss.

 

Frank laughs and shakes his head. “Alright well, get your ass down here as soon as you can, I can just tell the morning rush is gonna hit early, just because I’m here by myself.” he cringes at the thought.

 

Mikey nodded, then remembered that Frank couldn't see him. "Will do. We'll be there ASAP."

 

“Thanks, see you soon.” Frank hung up the phone and went back to prepping in the kitchen and hoping a customer doesn’t come in until Mikey gets here. 

 

Mikey put his phone down, finished his piss, washed his hands then returned to the bedroom to wake up his brother.

 

Gerard was laying starfished on the bed, so if Mikey wanted to get back in, he couldn't...instead, he walked over and threw himself on top of his brother, who woke up with a strangled squeak as the air was knocked out of him. Mikey rolled to the side, laughing loudly.

 

"F-fucktard!” Gerard choked out. Mikey got back off the bed, laughing as he searched for a clean shirt that was suitable for work.

 

"Get up fucker, I got work and unless you wanna spend the day shopping for purple wool with mom, you better get your ass in gear cause I'm leaving in five..."

 

Gerard groaned, rolling over to go back to sleep.

 

"I'll buy you coffee." Mikey whispered in his ear.

 

Four minutes later they were out the door, ten minutes after that they were at the diner. Mikey pushed the door open and slipped inside with Gerard right behind him.

 

Gerard went straight to the booth furthest from the door and the cold wind that accompanied every person who entered, and sat down to wait for his promised coffee with his sketchbook and pencils out on the table a second after his ass met the plastic covered booth seat.

 

Mikey headed into the kitchen. "Hey Frank. You can relax, cavalry's here." He said, taking off his coat and hanging it up before slipping on an apron.

 

“THANK YOU! I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see your cute little face!” Frank ran around the edge of the counter and hugged Mikey. “There was a whole group of people and they were so mean!”

 

"Did they want to talk to you and buy stuff?..." Mikey cooed sarcastically. "Did they try to give you money for coffee?"

 

“Do I sense sarcasm from you, Way?” Frank makes a face at him. 

 

Mikey shrugged, fighting off a laugh that was bubbling up. "You woke me up...what do you expect?" 

 

“Such sass!” Frank snickered and peeked out into the dining area. “Where’s your brother?” he looked back at Mikey. “I thought you brought him with you.” Frank swatted at Mikey.

 

"Alright...OW!...and yes, I  _ did _ bring him. He's hiding in a booth at the back, waiting for the coffee I had to promise him to get him out of my goddamn bed this morning."

 

Frank’s eyes went wide. “Out of  _ your _ bed…? Well that’s cute.” Frank laughs.

 

"You ass..." Mikey punched Frank's arm. "Mom turned Gee's room into an arts and crafts room when he left...she sold his bed." 

 

“Well that’s rude...still cute that you share a bed with your big brother.” Frank grins. “Go give him his coffee and ask him if he wants breakfast. It’s on me but don’t tell him that.”

 

Mikey raised an eyebrow, sizing up Frank and his breakfast based generosity for a moment before shrugging and going to pour Gerard's coffee. He made it just how his brother likes it; hot, black, and strong enough to wake a coma patient. He carried it over to where Gerard had his head down and his pencil flashing quickly over a page of his sketchbook. “Coffee fucker." He said, putting the cup down. Gerard looked up, looking surprised that Mikey exists.

 

"Coffee?"

 

"Yes Gerard, coffee. Now, do you want food?"

 

"Bacon."

 

" _ Just _ bacon?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Ok then..." Mikey turned and went back to the kitchen. He walked up to Frank. "Bacon!"

 

“That it?” Frank raised an eyebrow at the waiter. 

 

"Yep...just bacon and lots of it..." Mikey laughed fondly. "Gee thinks best on coffee and bacon."

 

“Alright…” Frank shrugged. “I can do bacon, now get to work kid.” he chuckles and goes about getting Gerard’s breakfast ready. He smiled while he worked in the safe and familiar space of his kitchen.

 

Mikey headed back out into the diner and saw there was three people at one table, a woman and two small children, an old man sat on his own, nursing a cup of coffee while he read the morning paper...and Gerard, hunched over his sketch pad with his coffee cup empty beside him.

 

Mikey rolled his eyes and poured Gerard another cup, then walked over and swapped out Gerard's empty drink for the full one. "Bacon's cooking."

 

Gerard looked up. "Huh?"

 

"Your bacon. It's cooking."

 

"Oh, right. Ok thanks Mikes." Gerard picked up his coffee and took a sip before going back to drawing. Mikey was pretty sure his brother wasn't even aware that it was a different cup...he probably thought it was self-filling itself by magic or something. He went back behind the counter and looked through the hatch at Frank.

 

"My brother's in a world of his own today, I swear." He chuckled, shaking his head fondly. 

 

“Aren’t artists usually like that though?” Frank laughed. “His breakfast is almost ready.” 

 

"Yeah, but he seems particularly spacey today."

 

“Maybe he’s still bummed out about losing his job.” Frank shrugged and put up the plate of bacon for Gerard. 

 

"I guess...maybe I should do something nice for him, what do you think?" Mikey said as he picked up the plate.

 

“Yeah, you could try that. Cheer him up a bit.” Frank nodded and turned to clean the flat top up a bit while he talked to Mikey

 

"Hmm..." Mikey hummed for a moment. "I'll give him his bacon then think about it. Could you think of something too?...I'm crap at ideas."

 

“I mean, yeah I can try and come up with something.” Frank nodded. “I can’t guarantee how helpful I’ll be.” 

 

Mikey giggled then walked away. He took the plate of bacon over to Gerard's table and set it down. Gerard looked up. "Mikes?"

 

"Yeah Gee?"

 

"What day is it?"

 

"Um...Wednesday...why?"

 

"No reason."

 

Gerard picked up a piece of bacon with the fingers of his left hand, munched on it and went back to drawing with his right. Mikey shook his head in confusion and returned to the counter, just as the woman with the kids got up to leave. He smiled nodded to her as he took payment then told her to "have a nice day", before turning to talk to Frank again.

 

"You have any ideas Frank?" He called through the serving window.

 

“Well, I don’t know your brother so the best I can give you is lame shit like take him to see a movie he likes or something. Get him out and go do something. If he’s sitting around like that he’s just gonna be sitting there with lots of time to think and dwell on it.” Frank sighed and shrugged.  

 

"Hmm, yeah I guess that's true. Hey, there's a DC Comics movie marathon on at the Cineplex Friday evening...you wanna come with us?...I'll buy the popcorn."

 

Frank raised an eyebrow at this. “Uh, yeah sure. That sounds fun.” 

 

"Cool..." Mikey said. He was just about to say something else when a throat was cleared behind him. He put on his 'how can I help you' smile and turned around...coming face to face with Gerard, and an empty plate and cup. "Let me guess, more coffee and bacon?"

 

"Yes please Mikes...you're the best."

 

Mikey rolled his eyes as he took the empties and shooed his brother back to his booth. He turned back to Frank. "I'll pay for his bacon habit this time...do you think there's such a thing as bacon rehab?"

 

Frank laughed and put more bacon on. “No, you know, I don’t think there is.” 

 

"Shame." Mikey turned around and started Gerard's coffee.

 

“I don’t think anyone has ever needed rehab for bacon before though, to be fair.” Frank says as he puts up another plate of bacon for Mikey’s brother. 

 

Mikey grabbed it with a smirk. "No, well there's no one quite like my brother..." He picked up the fresh cup of the strongest coffee he knew how to make and headed over to Gerard. He set the cup and plate down. "Hey Gee?"

 

"Hmmm?"

 

"Movies, Friday night...you in?"

 

"You paying?"

 

"Yep."

 

"Then sure, why not..."

 

He picked up his coffee and turned back to his drawing of what Mikey thought could possibly be a dragon. Mikey sighed and turned to go. "Hey Mikes?..." Mikey looked back. "Thank you."

Mikey grinned, knowing that that was an all encompassing "thank you", and that was all he needed.

 

"You're welcome bro...now eat your damn bacon and let me work." Gerard giggled and smiled at him and Mikey returned to the counter.

 

Frank was prepping some veggies and minding his own business in the kitchen. It was loud back here so he often couldn’t hear anything outside the kitchen. It was also kind of hot back there but he was used to that, it just meant he had to roll up his sleeves a lot of the time. Realistically most people would wear a tshirt instead but Tony told him not to and he wasn’t about to challenge the boss. So instead he was constantly pushing up his sleeves and refilling his water glass. He set aside his knife to sneak out to behind the counter to do just that while he was sure Mikey was over with his brother and he wouldn’t be in Mikey’s way.

 

Mikey raised an eyebrow as he returned to find Frank stood there with a red face and his sleeves pushed up, tattoos on display. "I knew you had a lot Frank, but woah!...that's a  _ lot _ !"

 

Frank jumped at the sound of Mikey’s voice and almost spilled his water. “Don’t fucking sneak up on me like that you little shit!” He scrunched up his face in distaste. He relaxed and looked at Mikey, following his gaze to the exposed ink on Frank’s arms and realizing what the hell Mikey was talking about. “Oh...yeah, I guess so.” he said and nodded. He had more tattoos than most people ever saw but he hadn’t realized Mikey hadn’t even seen the ones on his arms. 

 

"They're cool...I think Gee would like them..." Mikey tilted his head to try to see one he couldn't quite make out, then looked back up at Frank's face. "Actually, I'm  _ positive _ he would."

 

“Which one are you trying to see?” Frank asked, watching Mikey. “Gerard likes tattoos does he?”

 

"That one..." Mikey pointed to the large one on the back of Frank's left forearm. "...is that the Virgin Mary?"

 

“Well, yeah essentially that’s what it is but altered, kind of darker version.” Frank turned his arm over so Mikey could see it better. 

 

"Yeah, I see that...it's cool. Yeah Gee would love that one."

 

Frank smiled and shook his head. “I’m going back into my kitchen, safer in there.” he walked past Mikey to go hide back where he’d come from.  

 

"O...k then..." Mikey wasn't sure why the kitchen was quote-unquote " _ safer _ ", but he wasn't going to ask and he had work to do anyway. He turned around to face out into the diner again just as the old man walked up to the counter, slammed a handful of coins down, then left.

 

"Have a nice day..." Mikey called after him with fake cheerfulness. "...grumpy bastard."

 

He finished quietly to himself. He looked around and realised that it was now just him, Frank and Gerard...well, coming in today was worth it...not. He moved out into the diner and started to wipe down the tables, it was that or falling asleep on the counter, and he didn't think the boss would be pleased if he turned up to see him doing that.

 

Frank finished prepping what he’d need for today and looked at the kitchen. He’d left nothing for himself to do to keep busy. He made a face and sighed. “Fuck it, I’m going for a smoke.” He grabbed his pack and lighter from his sweater before heading out past the front counter. “I’ll be back in in a few minutes.” he called to Mikey as he passed him. 

 

"Ok..." Mikey called back, continuing to wipe tables that were already clean. He considered getting Gerard to change booths so he could clean his table too, but didn't get the chance to suggest it as Gerard passed him, heading outside with his coat on but unbuttoned and a pack of cigarettes and a lighter in his hand. "Ok, so I'll just say in here and talk to myself then will I?...guess so."

 

Gerard stepped out into the cold, shivering slightly and wrapping his coat tighter around himself before looking around for a spot out of the cold wind to light up. He saw the cook, Frank he thought his name was, leaning against the side wall of the building next door, cigarette already in his mouth. He walked over. "Mind if I join you?" He asked, holding up his pack.

 

“Sure.” Frank said taking the cigarette out of his mouth to flick the ashes. “Doesn’t bother me any.” He shivered slightly, wishing he’d brought his sweater with him, and pulling at his sleeves trying to get them down to cover his arms so he can hide his hands in the fabric. 

 

Gerard was just about to light his own smoke when he spotted the ink on Frank's arms. "Wow..." He said, stepping closer with his eyes glued to the colourful skin, his hands reaching out instinctively. "...they're beautiful. Do you have others?" He ran his fingertips over Frank's right forearm as his left sleeve was down already.

 

“Uh….” Frank watched Gerard’s face and his hand on his arm. “Yeah, I’m covered in ink.” He moved his arm a little closer to Gerard so he could look at it better if he wanted to. 

 

Gerard unconsciously licked his lips as he looked closer, turning Frank's arm this way and that to look at the designs. "What do your knuckles say?" He asked quietly, still studying them.

 

Frank stuck his cigarette back in his mouth to hold it between his lips and pulled his arm away from Gerard. He laced his fingers together in the right order and held them up so Gerard could read the words ‘Halloween’ and ‘bookworm’ written across his knuckles. 

 

Gerard's eyebrows rose. "Halloween?..." He looked up, tilting his head slightly. "Why?"

 

“I love Halloween stuff, it’s fun.” Frank takes a drag off his smoke before taking it out of his mouth and relaxing against the wall again. “Plus that’s when I was born.” He smiled, watching Gerard react to his tattoos was intriguing. People had been curious before but none showed this level of interest. 

 

"Your birthday's on Halloween?...dude that's so cool." Gerard went back to looking at the ink, unlit cigarette now forgotten in the corner of his mouth.

 

“Yeah, I guess so, I have fun with it anyway.” Frank shrugged.

 

"Yeah I bet..." Gerard giggled, eyes and fingers running over Frank's arm. "So what's the  _ weirdest _ tat you've got?"

 

“I don’t know…” Frank hesitated. “I guess none of them are really weird, but I think the strangest  _ place _ I’ve gotten a tattoo is the inside of my lip.” Frank smiled and shook his head.

 

Gerard's head snapped up, eyes wide and excited. "Your _ lip _ !?...can I see?"

 

“Sure, it’s nothing crazy.” Frank chuckled and turned his lip inside out just enough for Gerard to see the ‘NJ’ tattooed on this inside of his lip. 

 

Gerard got real close, peering at Frank's lip. "NJ...New Jersey?" He looked up with wide curious eyes, his face about three inches from Frank's.

 

Frank let go of his lip and looked down at Gerard. “Yeah…” 

 

"Cool..." Gerard dropped his eyes to the side then excitedly grabbed Frank's face and turned it to the left to look at Frank's neck. "Your scorpion...why are it's legs uneven?"

 

Frank jumped at Gerard’s sudden movement before he clued into what he’d just said. “Are they?” Frank frowned. “Huh, I don’t actually know, guess that’s just how the artist did it.” 

 

"Oh, well it kinda works...why'd you get it there?" Gerard looked up, tilting his head a little as he stared expectantly at Frank.

 

Frank laughed. “So I couldn’t hide it, it was me protesting the idea of an actual job when I was a kid.” He smiled at Gerard. “Didn’t really work though cause I’m working here.” 

 

"What did you want to do if you didn't do an actual job?"

 

“I had the dumb idea that being in a band was a good way to go.” Frank shook his head. “This is better anyway. Once I got through the schooling I was going to work in an actual restaurant but it turns out my tattoo actually does what it’s supposed to. I’m fine with that though because I like the freedom I have here.” 

 

"Well that's cool I guess..." Gerard glanced back toward the diner door. "Shouldn't you be working now?" He looked at Frank as he finally remembered the cigarette in the corner of his mouth and lit it.

 

“I finished all the prep like an idiot and there are no orders or anything for me to do so no, not really.” Frank chuckled and put out his now spent cigarette. “If I go back in I’m just gonna be twiddling my thumbs or helping Mikey with front of house stuff and I prefer to stay out of his way.” 

 

Gerard giggled then blew smoke out of his nose. "Probably best...I think he's sick of  _ me _ already, and I've only been back less than a day. Mikey likes his space."

 

“I doubt he’s sick of you, he seems genuinely worried about you. He cares about you.” Frank glanced over at him. 

 

Gerard looked at Frank, confused. "He's worried?...why?"

 

Frank shrugged, “You’re his brother.”

 

"Well yeah, but what's he worried about specifically?"

 

“I didn’t ask him, he just seems worried.” Frank shook his head. “It’s not my place to ask him either.” 

 

Gerard frowned, taking another draw on his smoke and starting to cough, doubling over, the cigarette falling onto the ground. "Fuck *cough cough*, that was my *cough* last one too."

 

Frank laughed and shook his head. “Oh you are a genius aren’t you. You ok?”  

 

Gerard flipped Frank the bird cos he couldn't talk for coughing, after a minute he straightened up and smiled sheepishly at Frank. "Maybe it's a sign that I should quit."

 

Frank shook his head. “Want one of mine? You barely had any of that.” 

 

Gerard shook his head with a smile. "No thanks, I couldn't pay you back...but I'll hang here and suck up your second-hand smoke if that's ok?"

 

“Dude, it’s fine, you don’t have to pay me back, it’s one smoke.” Frank sighed and looked at the guy like he might smack him upside the head for being ridiculous. Not that he actually would though. 

 

"Well, ok then..." Gerard smiled shyly, accepting the smoke. "Thank you."

 

“So...you planning on sticking around this time?” Frank asked. “Mikey said you left before.” 

 

Gerard swallowed, looking away. "Yeah, maybe. It depends on...factors."

 

Frank raised an eyebrow at this. “Oh...I was just...I was gonna say if you’re looking for a job while you’re here...we always need more help...we’ve got like four waiters and they don’t get much of a break...I could talk to Tony for you…” Frank looked at his feet, hoping he was overstepping. They really did need more help but he wasn’t sure how Gerard would feel about the offer. 

 

Gerard looked back, a smile creeping onto his face. "Actually yeah, that'd be cool...at least I can give mom some rent so she doesn't throw me out on the street aga...I mean..." He looked down, laughing nervously. "I mean yeah...thanks."

 

A worried frown creeped onto Frank’s face but he nodded anyway. “Ok, I’ll talk to him tonight when I get home. Bring a resume by tomorrow or something. He’ll probably hire you anyway but formalities are a thing he tries to keep up with at least.” 

 

"Ok, I'll borrow mom's printer later when she goes to her club. Thanks Frank."

 

“No problem Gerard.” Frank smiled at him. “Tony and I are the only cooks so you’ll either be with me or him when you’re in. Linda comes in once in awhile if Tony can convince her to take a shift here and there.” 

 

Gerard nodded and took a drag. "That's cool..." He looked back to the diner door, giggling slightly. "Mikey's probably cursing us right now y' know."

 

“Probably,” Frank chuckled. “I’m not leaving you out here in the cold by yourself though, I’m sure I can handle grumpy Mikey later if I must.” 

 

Gerard shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I take it you've not known my brother that long." He muttered, kicking a stone with the toe of his boot.

 

“Just for as long as he’s been here.” Frank shook his head. “He seems alright though.”

 

"You've not pissed him off yet then?"

 

“No, which is surprising because I do tend to tease him a lot.” Frank laughed. “It’s fun to bug him.”

 

Gerard shivered slightly. "Maybe it's just me he goes off at then."

 

Frank frowned. “Why does he go off at you? He seems to love you and actually care about you, which from what I’ve seen of most siblings, is unusual but nice to see.”

 

"Oh yeah, he  _ does _ care, don't get me wrong..." Gerard sighed, a puff of smoke leaving his lips. "...Mikey's a great kid and I love him lots, but if I annoy him or do something dumb..." He chuckled, taking the cigarette from his mouth to tap off the ash before replacing it. "...he doesn't let me forget it and he holds a grudge like you wouldn't believe. I spilt paint on his favourite shirt one time and he gave me a black eye...but that was just once."

 

Frank’s frown got deeper. He thought about what he’d seen of Mikey, he seemed sweet and kind. Frank looked at Gerard and could not fathom what could make Mikey want to hurt his big brother. Frank hadn’t seen much of Gerard’s personality but what he had seen was just as sweet and gentle as he thought Mikey was. Maybe even more so. Frank fought the extreme urge to hug Gerard and looked away. 

 

“Seems like a silly thing to get that angry about.” was all he said, though he could think of about a dozen other things he wanted to say. 

 

"He apologised after, and it  _ was _ his favourite shirt..." Gerard said quietly, staring into space. "Normally he'd just shout, but I haven't really seen that side of him since I came back...maybe he changed."

 

“How old were you guys when he did that?” 

 

"Err..." Gerard thought for a moment, his face screwing up a little. "Well I think I was, what, about 15?...so Mikey would've been 10. So 9 years ago."

 

Frank stifled a laugh. “A scrawny 10 year old Mikey gave you a black eye?” He shook his head. “Kids that age are hot headed though, so he probably has changed.” 

 

Gerard giggled. "Yeah, I guess so."

 

“Fuck it’s cold out here.” Frank shivered and rubbed his hands together. 

 

Gerard nodded, taking a last drag on his cigarette before stubbing it out on the wall beside him then flicking the butt into the gutter. "Yeah, we should go in before Mikey decides to rearrange the furniture or something."

 

Frank laughed and nodded. He went around Gerard to open the door for him and followed him inside. He shuddered at the temperature difference and looked around till he spotted Mikey. 

 

Mikey was moving a table. He looked up and smiled guiltily. "What?...I got bored!"

Gerard rolled his eyes and went back to his booth, then frowned when he realised his things weren't there. He looked around and saw his sketchbook and pencils on the next table. "You moved me?"

He said, raising an eyebrow at his brother. "Like I said, I got  _ bored _ fucker." Mikey huffed as he headed back behind the counter to make Gerard more coffee. Gerard looked down as he sat in his new booth, not wanting to start an argument.

 

Frank looked at Mikey sternly. “Dude, put it back before Tony decides to show up and kicks both our asses.” 

 

“You make me sounds frightening, Frank.” A voice said behind him causing Frank to jump about a foot. 

 

“Uh...hi sir…” Frank bowed his head and said quietly. He looked over at Mikey, realizing that he’d been the one to pass along the message that he was hired, and the one to do the interview. Mikey hadn’t yet even met his boss. 

 

Mikey looked up, halfway through pouring Gerard's coffee and nearly poured it over his own hand before setting it down and swallowing nervously...so  _ this  _ was the legendary Tony. He picked up Gerard's cup and carried it out from behind the counter, nodding a quick greeting to the older man before hurrying off to deliver the drink. Gerard still had his head down as Mikey approached. "Enjoy..." Mikey said brightly as he set the cup down. Gerard looked up through his hair curiously. "...please don't get me fired Gerard, ok?..."

 

Mikey hissed quietly before turning with a smile and heading back to the counter where Frank and Tony were stood apparently waiting for him. "It's nice to meet you sir." Mikey said with his hand held out to his boss.

 

Tony laughed and shook Mikey’s hand. “You must be Mikey, hopefully Frank hasn’t been frightening you about me too much.” Tony smiled warmly. “And I’m sorry you had to come in on your day off...I think I’m going to have to have a talk with Josh.” He shook his head. “Frank, I asked you to keep an eye out for new waiters...got anything.” 

 

Frank nodded. “I’m expecting a resume in the next couple days.” Frank looked over at Gerard. “He’s here though if you wanted to interview him now.” Tony followed Frank’s gazed and nodded. 

 

“I think I might do that.” Tony said. “Have you talked to him?” he asked and Frank nodded. 

 

Mikey looked over to where they were looking. His eyebrows rose and his jaw dropped. "My brother?!" He said in disbelief. 

 

“Yeah, he’s friendly enough to deal with customers.” Frank shrugged. “And a job will get him out of the house.” 

 

“Your brother?” Tony asked. “Do you not believe in his ability to work here?” 

 

"Oh well um..." Mikey could see Gerard looking over out of the corner of his eye. "I don't know...I guess he could. I've never actually worked with him before though, so I'm probably not the person to ask." He saw Gerard hang his head and knew he had some apologising to do later.

 

Tony nodded. “Alright, well if Frank think he’s good enough I might trust him on it, he did pick you after all and you’ve been wonderful from what I hear...other than moving my tables around. Do me a favour, Mikey, and put them back while I go speak to your brother.” Frank grinned slightly. “Oh, and Frank, your mother said to tell you you left the kettle on the stove from your oatmeal this morning, you’re lucky she came downstairs not long after you left.” 

 

Frank turned a bright shade of red and ducked his head before ducking back into the kitchen. 

 

Mikey raised an eyebrow at the new information about Frank he'd just learned, then went to do as he'd been told.

 

Tony stood beside Gerard’s table and smiled warmly as he saw the boy drawing. “Mind if I have a seat here with you?” 

 

Gerard jumped slightly, looking up with wide eyes. "Uh, sure?" He squeaked nervously.

 

“What are you working on there?” he asked as he slid into the seat across from Gerard. 

 

"A dragon?..." Gerard said unsurely. "I'm trying to be an artist, but...I don't know."

 

“May I have a look at it?” Tony asked him with a friendly smile.

 

Gerard bit his lip and nodded. "Sure. It's not that good...I usually do comics."

 

“It’s actually very good.” Tony looked at the drawing for a bit before turning it back to Gerard. “So Frank tells me he talked to you about working here as a waiter, what do you think of the idea?”

 

Gerard swallowed, licking his lips right after. "Well I would like to Sir. I have a little experience waiting tables, but not a lot. But I'm a hard worker and if you'd give me a chance, I wouldn't let you down."

 

Tony chuckled. “Well...hold on.” he looked toward the kitchen. “Frank!” he hollered and Frank peeked his head out to look at the man. “Who is in tomorrow?” 

 

“Mikey is supposed to be.” Frank raised an eyebrow only to be shooed away. 

 

“Good, you can come in tomorrow and your brother can show you how everything here works. If he doesn’t know Frank likely will. It’s not real complicated in such a little diner.” Tony smiled widely.

 

"Really?..." Gerard smiled brightly, practically bouncing in his seat. "You're giving me a job?" He couldn't believe this, his luck was  _ not _ this good. 

 

Tony chuckled at the excitement in the boy’s face. “We’ll see how you do tomorrow, alright? Frank will keep an eye on you and let me know what he thinks. I don’t think I caught your name by the way.” 

 

"Oh err..." Gerard blushed, extending a trembling hand and looking down slightly. "I'm Gerard, Gerard Way sir."

 

“You can just call me Tony, Gerard. Only Frank ever calls me sir.” Tony shook Gerard’s hand and got up from his seat. “Alright...I look forward to hearing about how it goes tomorrow. Mikey?”

 

"Yes sir?" Mikey said, looking up from where he was shifting the last table back into it's proper place. 

 

"You're going to be teaching Gerard how things work tomorrow and Frank will be keeping an eye on everything to let me know how it goes, alright?" Tony asked, "And I just finished telling Gerard, call me Tony, the nut in the kitchen is the only one that calls me sir." Tony laughed and Frank poked his head out long enough to stick his tongue out at him. 

 

Mikey giggled and nodded. "Ok Tony, I'll try to remember."

 

Tony smiled. “Frank.” he called and the boy came around the corner with his sleeves pushed up again. Tony rolled his eyes. “I’m heading back home, I think your mother might stop by today with something she made for you guys, I’ll tell her to bring extra so Gerard can have some.” He looked at each of them. “And mind your sleeves boy.” he gave Frank  _ that _ look. 

 

Frank pushed his sleeves back down, grumbling internally. “Alright, we’ll be around here somewhere. And I’ll try to keep Mikey from rearranging the furniture again.” he looked at Mikey. Tony nodded and waved on his way out the door. Once he was out of sight Frank pushed his sleeves right back up to where they were.

 

"Naughty." Mikey smirked, nodding toward Frank's sleeves as he poured Gerard another cup of coffee.

 

“I’d like to see you work back here in a long sleeve.” Frank shook his head. 

 

Mikey giggled. "No you wouldn't...I'd probably burn the place down. Ask Gee."

 

Frank’s eyes went wide and he shook his head in disapproval. “Gee, is he really that bad?” he looked over towards Gerard. 

 

Gerard nodded, a sad look on his face. "He tried to make waffles once...mum had to buy a new kitchen."

 

Frank frowned at the look on Gerard’s face and then turned back to Mikey, pointing at him. “You stay the hell you out of my kitchen then, that’s just not alright….how do you even?...nevermind I don’t wanna know.” 

 

Mikey frowned. "Like I said...you wouldn't want me back there."

 

"I think mom still misses those drapes." Gerard said quietly, almost to himself.

 

Frank looked from Gerard to Mikey with a look of mixed concern and curiosity, before he shook his head and turned to go back into the kitchen. 

 

Mikey rolled his eyes, handed Gerard his coffee then got back to doing...nothing, because there were no other customers and nothing to do.

  
Gerard returned to his drawing that he now thought was maybe a little bit more ok than he thought it was before, and sipped at his coffee...maybe being back home wasn't going to be so bad after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I know. We gotta be in work in half an hour, so get outta my bed before I chuck water over you."
> 
> "You wouldn't."
> 
> Mikey picked up a full glass from the nightstand and held it over Gerard's head. "Try me."

Frank looked at the clock, he’d got the kitchen ready for the day and was avoiding doing front of house stuff so Mikey would have something to teach his brother. He had the uniform shirt Gerard would be wearing today sitting on the front counter and was simply waiting for them to show up.

 

"Get your ass up fucker..." Mikey punched his brother in the shoulder.

 

"Ow...what the fuck do you want fucktard?...it’s..." Gerard looked over at Mikey's alarm clock. "...it's 6:30 in the morning."

 

"I know. We gotta be in work in half an hour, so get outta my bed before I chuck water over you."

 

"You wouldn't."

 

Mikey picked up a full glass from the nightstand and held it over Gerard's head. "Try me."

 

Gerard stared up at Mikey for a moment then rolled his eyes and shuffled out of bed and to the bathroom. Mikey nodded in satisfaction, drank the water then finished getting ready for work.

 

20 minutes later the brothers walked in the front door of Deidre's.

 

"Morning Frank. Help has arrived." Mikey cheered. Gerard smiled slightly from behind his brother when he saw Frank stick his head out of the kitchen upon hearing Mikey's greeting.

 

“‘Bout time you got here, you’re lucky there haven’t been any customers in here yet.” Frank said to Mikey before turning to smile at Gerard. “Morning.” 

 

"Hi..." Gerard said quietly. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket. "Could I get a coffee before I start please?...Mikey wouldn't let me have one before we left. I'll pay." He said hopefully, looking at Frank with big eyes.

 

“Yeah, you can have coffee. You don’t have to pay for it though, employees don’t pay for drinks while they’re working and food is half-priced while you’re working.” Frank smiled at Gerard. “Why wouldn’t you let him have coffee? Mikey, that’s just fucking mean.”

 

Mikey shrugged. "If he dragged his ass out of my bed earlier he could've gotten some."

 

Frank rolled his eyes and shook his head at Mikey. “Make sure he gets that uniform shirt I left on the counter for him.” 

 

Mikey nodded and dragged Gerard behind the counter, grabbing the shirt and shoving his brother toward the toilets to change. "Be quick then I'll teach you how to work the coffee machine." Gerard took the shirt, grimacing slightly at the scratchy fabric, and disappeared to get ready. Mikey looked at Frank. "What?"

 

“Be nice to him, or I’ll remind you of how your first day of training went.” Frank grinned and went back into his kitchen.

 

Mikey cringed at the memory, then went out front to wait for his brother. Gerard came out of the toilet, trying to straighten the shirt. Mikey rolled his eyes and walked over to help him. "How did you dress yourself while you were away?"

 

He asked as he swatted Gerard's hands away and sorted his clothes out for him. "I didn't." Gerard said with a smirk. Mikey looked up at him, freezing for a second then turning away.

 

"So the coffee machine is a bitch."

 

~~~~~

 

Gerard took an order at a table with four adults and two small,  _ loud _ children. "So that's three bacon potato hashes, one plain omelette, two small portions of fries, four coffees and two chocolate milks...right?"

 

He got nods of confirmation and a sugar packet chucked at his face. He smiled and clicked the send button, sending the food order through to Frank before going behind the counter to start the drinks. Gerard hated that coffee machine. It was, like Mikey said, a bitch! He put the first cup in its spot and gingerly pressed the button. The machine instantly sprayed burning hot coffee all over him. "Eeee!!" He cried out, flapping his hands and stumbling backward.

 

Frank came out of the kitchen and looked at Gerard. “Shit, what happened?” He pulled his towel off the belt string of his apron and moved over to help Gerard. “That stupid machine has gotta be possessed, I keep telling Tony to get someone to fix it.” 

 

Gerard whimpered, showing Frank his hands...the skin was wet and a little red.

 

“Shit, hold on a second.” Frank said before going back into the kitchen to get the first aid kit. He brought it back out to the front to deal with Gerard’s hands. Frank turned on the cold water and gently guided Gerard’s hands under the water to cool the burn.

 

"Shitshitshit..." Gerard quietly hissed out through clenched teeth, tears forming in his eyes. "That fucking stings."

 

“I know, I know, I’m sorry.” Frank looked up at Gerard and felt bad but the burn needed to be dealt with. He’d had his fair share of burns and that coffee maker made the coffee really hot. He took Gerard’s hands out of the water and turned it off before he grabbed one of the clean soft towels the wait staff used for cleaning. He very carefully and gently pressed it around Gerard’s hands to dry them off.

 

Gerard sniffed, looking at his hands in dismay...what if he couldn't draw?!? "That m-machine's a m-menace."

 

“Yeah, I know it is. Tony is either going to get it fixed or I’ll try and fix it.” Frank glared at it. “This is the final straw on that cursed thing.” he tossed aside the towel and looked at the distressed expression on Gerard’s face. “What’s the matter? You look worried. I’ll gonna put some Polysporin on it and bandage your hands where the worst of the burn is. Your fingers look fine so I don’t have to bandage those. If it doesn’t hurt too bad you can try to keep working with Mikey if you want. This shit happens in restaurants, even to the waiters.” 

 

"But...but..." Gerard looked up sadly. "What if I can't draw anymore?"

 

“No, it’s not that bad, you’ll be able to draw but it’s gonna hurt until your burns heal.” Frank shook his head as he bandaged Gerard’s hands carefully, trying not to be rough and keeping his dry, rough hands from brushing against Gerard’s too much. 

 

Gerard breathed slow and deep, trying hard not to cry. He nodded slightly. "O-ok Frank."

 

Frank finished wrapping up Gerard’s hands and looked at him. “You ok? What were you trying to do anyway?”

 

"F-four coffees..." Gerard stuttered quietly, peering at his bandaged hand. "For table 3."

 

“Ok, I’ll help you get those done and carry them over. Then...where is Mikey?” Frank frowned and looked around. 

 

Gerard looked around aswell and couldn't see Mikey. "I...I don't know."

 

“Well when I find him I’m gonna kick his ass for ditching you on your first day.” Frank shook his head. “Let’s get these coffees done right now though.” he smiled gently at Gerard and then turned to see where the coffee cups were stored and cursed under his breath at Tony for putting them up just where Frank wouldn’t be able to reach. 

 

Gerard looked up at the cups, then at Frank. "I already got some cups..." He pointed to the counter behind him...giggling slightly. "Maybe they need to be kept lower down. I'll get the kid's chocolate milks while you do the coffees...yeah?" He said, moving to start on the much safer kid's drinks.

 

“Yeah I’ll do that, and no the cups are fine if you can reach them. I never really come out here for stuff like that so I’ve never noticed they were even up there before.” Frank shakes his head and gets the four coffees ready, wary of the machine being stupid again but it behaves. 

 

"Thanks Frank..." Gerard said with a grateful smile, putting the coffees on a tray with the chocolate milks. "I'll tame that thing one day, maybe." He smirked, eyeing the coffee machine before taking the family their drinks, wincing slightly at the sting in his hands.

 

Frank glared at the machine and grabbed his phone to text Tony and tell him the damn thing had done the stupid thing again and burned Gerard. The text he got back was distressed and said that he’d send someone to fix the stupid thing. 

 

Gerard went back to the counter with a red face and his eyes lowered, biting his lip. He had the empty tray clutched against his chest.

 

Frank caught the look on Gerard’s face and his frown deepened. “What’s the matter, Gerard?” 

 

Gerard swallowed, he glanced at the table he'd just served then back at the floor between him and Frank. "Nothing..." He said quietly. "I should get on."

 

Frank caught Gerard’s arm. “No, what happened?” Frank looked at Gerard and his face softened. 

 

Gerard sighed, refusing to look up. "The man said...he said he didn't want..." He trailed off, frowning.

 

“What did he say?” Frank frowned again and couldn’t help but feel a little irritated that Gerard was getting crap from the customers already on day one. 

 

"He said he didn't want a klutz serving them that can't even pour coffee."

 

Frank all but growled. “Stay here.” He told Gerard and wandered out into the dining area and stopped at the table. He looked at the kids and frowned. He’d have to be a little more...polite...about this then. “Excuse me, but which of you had the audacity to insult my waiter.” 

 

"I did..." Said a thin young man with virtually shaved hair at the back and sides, and dark blonde curls on top. "He's clearly incompetent if he can't even pour coffee."

 

“Did you perhaps take into consideration it’s his first day here? Or that the machine is wonky and broken and has done that to even our most experienced waiters?” Frank tapped his foot impatiently. “Gerard is perfectly competent. We’ve all burned ourselves on that thing and it is going to be fixed. In the meantime do not disrespect my wait staff.” 

 

The man rolled his eyes. "Whatever hobbit-boy."

 

“I don’t need height, at least I don’t stoop to petty name calling when I know I’m wrong. Respect my waiter or you’ll find yourself on the curb with no food and the owner of this place hot on your tail.” Frank glared. 

 

"That a threat little man?"

 

"Rob, stop it and apologise or I'm cutting you off for a month and you can sleep on the couch." The small woman with bright pink dyed hair sat next to the asshole said with one eyebrow raised.

 

"But Hayley I..."

 

" _ Now  _ Robert."

 

The man swallowed under his wife's hard stare. "Alright alright..." He turned back to Frank. "Sorry." Hayley clipped him round the back of his head. "OW!"

 

"And now like you mean it!"

 

"Fine...I'm sorry for being rude to you and your...waiter."

 

“I forgive you, now if we are good and everyone is going to behave I’m going back into my kitchen to make whatever it is you decide you’d like to eat today.” Frank smiled at them. “And if I have to come back out here, Robert, I will not hesitate to call the owner to deal with you. He’s quite protective of his employees.” 

 

Robert said nothing, but Hayley smiled apologetically at Frank. "Don't worry, he'll be good."

 

Frank nodded and headed back towards the kitchen he stopped to look at Gerard and smiled. “It’s dealt with and if they give you anymore trouble tell me, ok? You have to let us know when customers are being unreasonably difficult.” 

 

Gerard nodded. "Ok Frank. I put their order in before I burnt my hand by the way."

 

Frank’s eyes went wide. “Ah shit, ok, I’ll go do that then. You alright here?” 

 

Gerard nodded with a small smile as he turned to the bell ringing over the opening door. His smile slipped a little when Mikey walked in. "Where'd you go?...one minute you were here and then..."

 

"For a smoke. What got  _ your _ panties in a bunch?"

 

Gerard looked down, shrugging slightly. "Nothing, just wondering." He said quietly, moving to clean up behind the counter without another word.

 

Frank frowned at Mikey but decided to stay out of it and ducked back into the kitchen to do the order sitting there waiting for him. He picked up the ticket and sighed. “Mikey! I think Gerard did the thing on the last order he sent me, show him how to fix it.” he called out at them. 

 

Mikey rolled his eyes. "That figures..." He huffed. "Gee, you did this wrong."

 

Gerard looked up. "I did?...wait, what did I do?"

 

"You double ordered this." Mikey pointed to the potato hashes on the order, that instead of there being 3, there was 6. Gerard looked at the screen and frowned slightly.

 

"So, how do I fix it Mikes?"

 

Mikey sighed like this was just too much bother then proceeded to show Gerard what to do. "...Then you press send and Frank will get the  _ right _ order. It's not that hard."

 

Gerard chewed on his lip, nodding. "Ok Mikes, I see. I'll try not to get it wrong again." Mikey huffed and walked away to greet a new couple who'd just entered the diner. He took them to sit at one of his booths. Gerard sighed, maybe this job wasn't for him after all.

 

“Hey Gerard?” Frank called from his serving window. He was seriously questioning Mikey’s deal with his brother. 

 

Gerard looked up with a small smile. "Yeah Frank?"

 

Frank sighed. “Don’t let him get to you about shit like that, he still fucks it up, the only difference is he knows how to fix it. It’s your first day, you’ll pick this stuff up. It’s a matter of repetition and getting used to it. You should’ve seen him on his first day. I thought Halsey was gonna die laughing at him.” Frank giggled at the memory. 

 

Gerard smiled a little wider, shrugging slightly.   


 

"It's ok Frank, I'm used to it..."   


 

He turned as the bell over the door rang, a young man with floppy black hair and a sleeveless shirt that must've left him cold, but at the same time showed off a lot of tattoos, walked in.

 

"Hi, welcome to Deidre's. Would you like a booth or to sit the bar?"

 

The man said he'd like a booth and Gerard led him to one near the back with a friendly smile. Frank frowned and went back to working on the order. He didn’t like the implication of Gerard being used to being treated like shit. Mikey pressed the button on his order pad, sending the order to Frank before going behind the counter to fix the couple their coffees. He looked back into the kitchen.

 

"Frank, can you make one of those burgers  _ really _ well done, like almost to the point of burnt?...customer was very specific."

 

“I wouldn’t even feed something like that to my dog but sure, if that’s what they want then that’s what they can have.” Frank shook his head in disgust. Mikey snorted a laugh.

 

"His wife wants salad dressing for her fries too."

 

“Pfffft what the fuck, is she pregnant? Who eats shit like that? ...though I guess I can’t really say anything.” Frank said and ducked away to work before he could be asked to clarify on that any further. 

 

Mikey set to making the coffees as Gerard returned to the counter, pressing send on his order. He waited quietly for Mikey to finish with the dreaded machine before approaching it nervously as Mikey walked away.

 

"You don't like me and I don't like you..." Gerard muttered to the machine as he collected a cup and set it in place. "...but unless you want to be thrown into the dumpster out back, I suggest you refrain from burning me again, ok?..." He swallowed, then pressed the button for coffee, pulling his hand back quickly to his chest protectively as the machine spluttered noisily before delivering a perfect cup of hot black coffee. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"

 

Frank rang the bell on his counter loudly and grinned as he saw Gerard jump. “Order up, Gerard.” 

 

Gerard turned and smiled at Frank. "I'll just take this coffee out then I'll be back. That order's for the couple with the kids...right?" He was nervous to face that guy again, but he knew it was just part of his job.

 

Frank looked at the ticket in front of him. “Yeah, think so.” Frank passed the ticket over for Gerard to check. 

 

Gerard nodded, sighing. "Yep, that's it. I'll be back for it in a second..." He picked up the solo customer's coffee and took it to him, then returned for the family's order. "Ok, here goes nothing." He muttered to himself as he collected the plates of food.

 

Frank watched him go out until he couldn’t see him anymore, then he settled for trying to listen and hear what was going on in the dining area over the noise of the kitchen. “Fuck.” Frank muttered when he couldn’t catch anything and went back to making Mikey’s order.

 

Gerard approached the table with a slightly forced smile.

 

"I'm sorry for the wait..."

 

"Not at all sweetie..." The woman interrupted. "It's my idiot husband who should be apologising to you..." She turned to the man with a hard look. "Rob?"

 

The man sighed then looked up at Gerard. "I'm sorry for before, I hadn't realised it was your first day."

 

"That's ok sir, no harm done. So, I have three bacon potato hashes, one plain omelette, and two small portions of fries...was there anything else?...did you need any more drinks?"

 

The woman shook her head with a kind smile. "No, thank you."

 

Gerard nodded as he placed the food down. "Ok, well just give me a wave if you do." He smiled then walked back to the counter, shaking slightly as he got behind it and leaned against the wall next to the kitchen door. 

 

Frank tapped at his counter bell again and stuck his head out the serving window. “Eh Mikey, order up!” 

 

Mikey walked back over to the counter and stepped behind it, giving Gerard a look on the way passed but saying nothing. He got to the serving window and started picking up his order. "Hey Frank, which one is the charcoal burger?"

 

“Oh you can tell by looking at them.” Frank shuddered.

 

Mikey looked at the two plates. "Oh yeah..." He turned to leave the counter and stopped, tilting his head at Gerard. "Taking a break Gee?..." He said sarcastically. "Don't think you're due one yet, are you?" Then he walked off to deliver his order without waiting for a response. Gerard sighed, looking down.

 

Frank poked his head out to see what Mikey was talking about and spotted Gerard. “Hey, Gerard?” 

 

Gerard looked up. He tried to put on a smile, but was pretty sure it wasn't that convincing. He let it fall again. "Yes Frank?"

 

“Your customers all taken care of for now?” he asked him with a gentle smile. 

 

Gerard looked out into the diner then back at Frank, nodding. "Yeah...why?"

 

“Wanna come play back here with me? I can teach you how the kitchen works. Which I’m supposed to do with all the wait staff but I haven’t had a chance to with Mikey yet. You guys are supposed to at least know the basics of what I do back here in case of a rush or something and I need help.” Frank grinned widely. 

 

Gerard smiled slightly, grateful for the break from customers...and Mikey. "Yeah ok..." He stepped into the hot kitchen and understood why Frank rolled his sleeves up...it was like stepping into a sauna. "Woah...how do you work in this?" He said, blinking and wiping his hand over his face...belatedly remembering the eyeliner he'd rushed to put on that morning. Well it was likely ruined now.

 

Frank shrugged. “Get used to it I guess?”

 

Gerard smiled softly, following Frank further into the kitchen. "So what're you going to teach me Frank?"

 

Frank grinned and shook his head. “Well...I’ll start with asking what you already know. Do you know how to work the restaurant styled toaster?” 

 

Gerard tilted his head. "Is it different from a regular toaster?"

 

Frank chuckled and pointed at the toast. “Yeah, a little bit.” 

 

Gerard looked at the large shiny box thing on the counter to the right of the coolers. "Oh uh...no then, I don't know how to use one." He said with a small giggle.

 

“It’s not real hard. You turn this dial to four and put the bun in the top here with the face down on the conveyer thing.” Frank pointed at the bag of buns on the little shelf. “You break them in half, and then put them in and they just pop out at the bottom in a couple minutes. If it doesn’t that means it’s stuck and you have to turn it off and take it out.” 

 

Gerard nodded along to Frank's instructions. "Ok, yeah that seems simple enough..." He looked up, smiling shyly. "So what's next?"

 

“Are you as bad as you say your brother is?” Frank looked at him warily. 

 

"Nope. I've never burnt down a kitchen, and I can actually make a pretty good omelette if I'm in the mood."

 

“Ok good, you are allowed to use the flat top then.” Frank chuckled and gestured behind him. “We par cook bacon in large batches so that when someone orders something with bacon all I have to do is but it back on the flattop with the weight on it until it is as crispy as the customer wants it. You with me so far here?” 

 

"Yeah, I think so..." Gerard nodded with a smile. "How do you..."

 

"Am I meant to be doing your job too now?..." Mikey said, interrupting his brother from the kitchen doorway. "Are you gonna spend all day in here?"

 

Gerard's cheeks flushed pink and he fumbled his reply. "S-sorry Mikey, I'm coming now..." He glanced apologetically at Frank. "Sorry." Then he headed back out into the diner, squeezing passed Mikey who rolled his eyes at him then looked at Frank.

 

"Sorry if he was disturbing you Frank."

 

Frank let out a frustrated huff. “Actually no, he was doing his job. I’m supposed to train all the wait staff to help me handle minor stuff in here in case of a rush, which I told you on your first day. He had a minute, so I was going over some of it with him and doing his training.”

 

Mikey swallowed. "Oh um, sorry." He turned and returned to work.

 

Frank shook his head and went back to what he’d been doing before he’d brought Gerard back to train. He got the flat top as clean as it needed to be and started cutting up some veg. He kind of hummed to himself and worked, he’d hear the ticket machine if an order came in.

 

Gerard smiled nervously at the couple with the kids as the woman tried to get her children to choose a dessert. Eventually they both chose cookies, cause they could take them with them to eat on the way to the park. "So I'll get you those cookies and the bill...if there's nothing else?"

 

"No, just the cookies...and again, I'm sorry about before."

 

"No worries." Gerard went to the covered container on the counter and retrieved two large triple chocolate cookies, then went to the register, added the cookies and printed up the bill. He returned to the table and handed the little brats their cookies and the man the bill, as his hand was held out for it. "Just come to the counter when you're ready." He smiled and walked back to the counter to gather himself a little. The man hadn't spoken to him, but he hadn't hidden his nasty looks each time his wife's attention was elsewhere. After a minute the wife went up and paid as the husband ushered the kids out into the cold. 

 

"Thanks, come again." Gerard said, trying to be friendly.

 

"We will, and Rob will be on his best behaviour next time, I promise." Gerard smiled at the woman, then she left. Gerard sighed in relief.

 

"Gerard, don't just stand around...take the rubbish out would you?" Mikey said as he pushed passed to make his customer another coffee. Gerard nodded and went to empty the trash bin that was next to the door. He took the bag out, replaced it with a new one, then took the half-full one outside to the dumpster in the alley.

  
~~~~~

  
Gerard hadn't come back. Mikey stood in the kitchen doorway. "Have you seen Gerard?"

 

“Not since you scared him out of my kitchen, no, why?” Frank looked up at Mikey. He’d gotten almost all the prep done and mainly just had cleaning and dishes to do. 

 

"Cause I sent him to take out the trash and he never came back...I've been covering his tables for half an hour..." Mikey said with a shrug. "I'm guessing he's wandered off."

 

Frank frowned. That didn’t seem right. He may not know Gerard very well but he didn’t seem the type to have wandered off. “I’ll go check and see what’s up. Keep an eye on the diner.” Frank looked pointedly at Mikey. Mikey shrugged, then turned around and went back to work. Frank wiped his hands on his towel and tossed it aside. He went out into the dining area and out the door, forgetting his sweater, to go look around back. He peeked around the side of the building and didn’t see anything so he went down the side to look around the back. Frank shivered lightly but the cold didn’t bother him much. He was more worried about Gerard.

 

Gerard groaned as he struggled to sit up against the rough brick wall beside the dumpster, holding the back of his head...he didn't _ remember  _ getting hit by a truck?! "Urgh."

 

Frank heard a small sound and moved around to look on the other side of the dumpster. “Shit!, Gerard?!” He moved towards him. 

 

Gerard turned his head a little and instantly regretted it. "Ow fuck." He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.

 

Frank crouched down in front of Gerard. “Gerard?” Frank reached out to hold Gerard’s face in his hands. “Hey? You ok?” 

 

"I-I don't know... _ what _ happened?"

 

“We’ll figure that out but I’m asking if you’re ok. Does anything hurt? Do I need to take you to a hospital?” Frank shook his head and looked down at the other boy. 

 

"My head..." Gerard whimpered slightly, moving his hand from the back of his head to in front of his eyes...there was a small wet and red patch on his palm. He looked up at Frank, eyes wide. "F-Frank?"

 

“Shit, it’s ok, can you stand up?” Frank asked him. He pulled his cell out of his back pocket to text Tony and ask him to come in. Gerard bit his lower lip to stop it wobbling. He nodded but shrugged at the same time. “Do you want me to go get Mikey?”

 

"No! Can you..." Gerard swallowed heavily, feeling a little sick. "Can you help me up please?"

 

“Ok,” Frank reached forward and slipped his arm under Gerard’s shoulders to bring him up to his feet. “Listen, I can take you to the hospital or Mikey can take you, one way or the other you need to go to make sure that isn’t serious.” 

 

Gerard leaned heavily on Frank and squeezed his eyes shut as his head spun. "Can  _ urgh _ , can you...please?"

 

“You realize I don’t actually have a car and you’ll be on my bike on the seat in front of me, right?” Frank looked at him warily.

 

"Please, Frank?"

 

Frank nodded. “Ok, Gerard.” Frank helped him around the back of the building to the parking lot side where his bike was parked right beside the building. Mikey wouldn’t be able to see them here. Frank caught sight of Tony, who saw Gerard and nodded in understanding. He went inside with his phone in his hand and Frank knew to expect a text. He pulled off his apron and stuffed it in the saddle bag. He pulled his keys out of his pocket. “Ok, you gotta sit right on the seat so I can get on behind you. I’m putting you in front of me so you don’t fall backwards or something. I’ll drive careful.” 

 

"Mhmm...ok Frank." Gerard slurred slightly, climbing awkwardly onto the bike and nearly falling right off the other side.

 

Frank caught hold of Gerard and sighed. He swung his leg up and over the bike to settle onto the seat behind Gerard. “You can lean against me, just hold onto the handles here.” He indicated the metal part between the handlebars, on the inside of the grips. “Okay?” 

 

"Yeah, o-ok Frank..." Gerard slurred as he placed his hands on the handles. "Don't go t-too fast, yeah?"

 

“Of course not.” Frank turned the key and had to lift his weight a bit to kick the thing to life, the thing rumbling loudly below them. He worried he’d moved to much for Gerard but there wasn’t much he could do. He got them onto the road and headed towards the hospital, he took it slow but he definitely wanted to get there soon. He tried to keep his eyes on the road but quite often he found himself looking at Gerard in front of him to check on him. When they finally got to the hospital he parked as close as he could get to the front and set out the kickstand. He turned off the bike and looked at Gerard. “You alright?” 

 

"W-where are we?" Gerard turned unfocused eyes toward the other man.

 

“We’re at the hospital, you ok?” Frank held Gerard in his arms and steadied him. “Do I need to carry you inside?” 

 

"Frank?..." Gerard said uncertainly. "W-what happened?"

 

“Yeah, Gerard, it’s me...shit.” Frank frowned and got off the bike, holding Gerard up with his hand. He slipped an arm under Gerard’s legs. “Put your arms around my neck, ok?” 

 

"O-ok." Gerard lifted his arms and put them around Frank's neck limply...he leaned his head against Frank's shoulder, because it felt too heavy...so did his eyelids...he closed them. 

 

“Gerard? No buddy, no sleeping. You can’t sleep, stay awake and talk to me baby. Tell me about...tell me about that drawing you were doing yesterday.” Frank picked Gerard up, hugging him to his chest. He realized after he said it and far too late that he’d called Gerard ‘baby’. He sighed, he’d deal with that later if Gerard even remembered, and carried him towards the front door. “Ramble about anything, just no sleeping right now.” 

 

"M-Mikey's got a sssstuffed unicorn...it's called Pierce and he kissssess it g-goodnnnight..." Gerard giggled sleepily. "I thhhink heee did mmmore than kisss it when I was awayyy."

 

“Dude, that’s a little weird. Seriously?” Frank chuckled and smiled at Gerard. “Does his unicorn have a name?” 

 

Gerard frowned slightly, eyes still closed...he was so tired. "What unicorn?"

 

Frank got him into the hospital and gave a nurse a look that made her come over to see what was going on. “I don’t know what happened to him but he hit his head and it’s bleeding. He keeps trying to go to sleep and can’t seem to remember anything. He was talking fine when I first found him but now not so much. He just told me something and then forgot he even said it a couple seconds later.” 

 

"F-Frank?...what's happening?" Gerard mumbled against Frank's shoulder.

 

"Oh Lord..." The nurse said with concern in a strong Texas accent. "Bring him through here and lay him down, I'll go fetch a doctor..." She lead Frank toward a curtained cubicle and pointed to the bed. "Try to keep him awake till I get back, ok?"

 

Frank nodded and set Gerard down as she walked away. He wouldn’t let him lay down though. “Come on Gerard, talk to me, tell me about that unicorn so I can pick on Mikey for it later.”

 

"I...Frank I...I don't feel so..." Gerard stuttered out weakly before throwing up all over himself and the bed.

 

“Shit, Gerard, you ok? Where the fuck is that nurse?” Frank looked out to see if he could spot her. Gerard leaned his head against Frank's shoulder and mumbled quietly. “No sleeping, come on, you gotta stay awake.” Frank rested his face again the top of Gerard’s head and looped his arms around him. 

 

"You're warm..." Gerard mumbled against Frank's neck. "Comfy."

 

“I know I’m warm but you can’t go to sleep, we need to wait for that nurse to come back with a doctor to look at you and make sure you’re ok.” Frank looked around again wondering where the hell that stupid nurse had gone to, surely it did not take this long to find a doctor in a hospital.  

 

"Tired." Gerard mumbled, his eyes closing. The nurse walked into the room with a man in a white doctor's coat right behind her. He had floppy, sandy blonde hair, glasses, and a friendly smile on his face.

 

"Sorry it took so long. This is Dr. Stump."

 

Dr. Stump nodded. “Alright, let me get a look at him. What happened?” He moved around to look at Gerard. Frank tried to get Gerard to sit up away from him so the doctor could look. 

 

“I don’t really know what happened, but his head was bleeding a bit so I’m assuming he hit it. He doesn’t seem to remember what happened either and he keeps falling asleep.” Frank looked at the doctor warily. 

 

“Ok, what’s your name?” Dr. Stump asked Gerard. 

 

"Um...Gerard?" Gerard said uncertainly. Dr. Stump looked at Frank for confirmation, Frank nodded and watched silently. 

 

“Can you sit up here for me so I can look at your head?” The doctor motioned for Gerard to sit facing him. 

 

Gerard blinked dopily and shuffled around, almost pitching forward off the bed. Frank instinctively reached to catch Gerard before he could fall. 

 

“Alright, now I’m sorry if this hurts.” He tilted Gerard’s head down so he could look, carefully moving Gerard’s hair out of the way with his hand. He didn’t poke and prod too much. “Looks like he’s got a bump and there is a bit of a cut but it doesn’t look too bad. He seems very unfocused though. This is gonna be bright just look at me and keep your eyes open, ok?” He said and pulled out his little flashlight to shine it at Gerard’s eyes, kind of holding his eye open and making Gerard whine at the light. “Gerard, can you count to ten for me?” 

 

Gerard groaned quietly, he really just wanted to go to sleep. "1, 2, 3...uh...5?...6, 8, 9...10. Is that right?" 

 

“Hmmmm...can you recite your alphabet?” The doctor looked at him, and shot Frank a worried look. 

 

"Uh...a, b, c...um...d, e, f, g..." He paused to yawn, then looked at Frank. "What's happening Frank?" Frank frowned and looked back at the doctor. 

 

“He’s got a concussion, I’m going to give him some painkillers and we’ll keep him here overnight to keep an eye on him. I’ll leave the nurse with him right now if you’ll come to the desk. I need you to fill something out and give me some way to contact you.” Dr. Stump motioned for Frank to follow him. 

 

"F-Frank?" Gerard whimpered slightly.

 

“You’ll be ok, Gerard, they’re gonna keep you safe and take care of you. I’ll come back, ok?” Frank hugged Gerard tight. “You’ll be alright, I promise.” 

 

"I don't like neeeeedles..." Gerard whined in Frank's ear. "Tell them not to stab me."

 

“I’ll make sure he knows.” Frank gave Gerard one last squeeze before very carefully pulling away from him. “They won’t hurt you.” He pressed a gentle kiss to the side of Gerard’s head, internally kicking himself when he realized what he had done. He turned and headed for where the doctor had gone. 

 

Gerard whined slightly then turned to the nurse with a petulant look on his face. "Don't stab me." He mumbled, sleepily. The nurse chuckled slightly and shook her head.

 

"I wasn't planning on it hun..." She made sure he was safely sat on the bed then stepped over to a trolley that had hospital gowns on it. She grabbed two and returned to the bedside, placing them next to Gerard's legs. "So, let's get you changed then." Gerard sighed. He  _ hated _ hospitals.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey, Mikey…”
> 
>  
> 
> Mikey looked up. "Yeah Frank?"
> 
>  
> 
> “Is it true that you have a stuffed unicorn named Pierce that you kiss goodnight?” Frank laughed, he couldn’t keep it together anymore it was just too funny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***thePetetoherPatrick***  
> Eh! New chapter <3 and I swear to gods ***Wescottwomen*** if I hear one peep out of you about the unicorn XD   
> Hope you guys like the chapter ^-^

Mikey was finding working with Tony a little different than working with Frank. Tony was a lot more strict than Frank about the rules and Mikey hadn't even been able to slip outside for a cigarette in the two hours since Frank left to take Gerard to the hospital...he was getting desperate now. 

 

He was also desperate for news on his brother.

 

Mikey knew that he was hard on Gerard before, and earlier it hadn't bothered him so much, but now, not knowing if Gerard was alright or not, he found himself regretting the way he'd treated him. He _really_ regretted sending Gerard out with the trash.

 

He looked over at the door for the hundredth time in the last ten minutes...why weren't they back yet?

 

Frank pulled his bike back up to his spot at the side of the diner and went inside. He went straight to the kitchen to send Tony home.

 

“I’m back, you’re good. Go back to whatever you were doing.”

 

“Is he alright?” Tony asked with a look of concern.

 

“He will be, doc is gonna keep an eye on him overnight.” Frank looked at the floor and set about picking up the work where Tony left it. Tony nodded silently.

 

“Call me if you guys need me alright?” Tony said and Frank nodded back. Tony waved at Mikey on the way out.

 

Mikey waved then went straight to the kitchen door and saw Frank busy flipping three burgers on the flat top that he'd ordered. "Frank!...you're back, where's Gee?"

 

“He’s at the hospital, he has a concussion, they are keeping him overnight to keep an eye on him and don’t worry they’ve been warned, no needles. They have my number on file, they’ll call me to come get him but I’m going back to check on him later anyway.” Frank put together one of the orders and put it up in the window. Mikey chewed his lip for a moment.

 

"Do you think I could come with you?...when you go to see him later I mean."

 

“Sure. He is your brother. Get these orders out and then take a smoke break before you spontaneously combust.” Frank put up the other two orders.

 

Mikey made a slightly inhuman noise at the mention of a cigarette, then picked up the orders and took them out to the only currently occupied table. After delivering the three burgers, he shot Frank a grateful wave then stepped outside and to the side of the building to light up.

 

Taking his first drag in what felt like forever, Mikey leaned against the wall and sighed, closing his eyes and enjoying the moment alone. It was short lived though, as he was broken from his relaxed state by someone clearing their throat. He opened his eyes and was pleasantly surprised to see Andy standing there, grinning at him.

 

He went to say hi, and started choking on smoke.

 

“Woah, you ok? Don’t die on me, this is only the second time I’ve gotten to see you.” Andy chuckled and shook his head.

 

Mikey doubled over slightly and held up a hand to indicate "wait a minute", then coughed a bit more before straightening up and wiping his watering eyes with the bottom of his shirt, belatedly realizing that he'd just flashed his pale, undefined stomach to the hot guy who probably had a six-pack, and that he was trying to impress...oh well, too late now.

 

"I err...I didn't expect to see you back here so soon." He internally cringed at how lame he sounded.

 

“Well maybe I just wanted to see the cute waiter that caught my eye.” Andy grinned widely at Mikey.  

 

Mikey giggled, his cheeks suddenly feeling rather hot. "Really?...and who might that be?" He asked, hoping Andy didn't describe one of the other waiters.

 

Andy chuckled. “Oh, he’s this really cute guy, has these weird green eyes. He’s not tall but not short either. I think he said his name was Mikey but I could be wrong. He’s really cute when he stumbles over himself and blushes though. Have you met him?”

 

Mikey giggled again and shook his head. "No, I don't think so...guess you'll have to make do with me."

 

“Dammit.” Andy chuckled. “Well you’re cute to so I guess you’ll do.”

 

Mikey smiled wide, his blush feeling like it was taking over his entire face. "Do you...want a coffee? On me." He said, pointing toward the diner's door.

 

Andy nodded. “Coffee sounds good.”

 

Mikey stubbed out his cigarette on the brick wall to his left then grinned. "Come on then." He lead Andy inside with the grin still plastered on his face.

 

Andy followed Mikey inside and sat at the counter the same as last time. Mikey went behind the counter and started the coffee, he glanced through the window into the kitchen, then ducked his head when he remembered his blush, and saw that Frank was grinning at him. Frank chuckled and shook his head. Then he remembered what Gerard said earlier and saw his opportunity to embarrass the absolute hell out of Mikey.

 

“Hey, Mikey…”

 

Mikey looked up. "Yeah Frank?"

 

“Is it true that you have a stuffed unicorn named Pierce that you kiss goodnight?” Frank laughed, he couldn’t keep it together anymore it was just too funny.

 

Mikey's face went the colour of a ripe tomato and he dropped the cup he was holding. "I...how...fuck!" Mikey turned and saw Andy watching him with an amused look...he opened and closed his mouth like a fish for a moment before dashing into the toilets and locking the door.

 

Andy shook his head and chuckled. “That wasn’t nice, it was funny and absolutely cute, but very not nice.”

 

“He’s got a bit of a not nice attitude to his brother so he more or less had it coming once I figured out how to get him.” Frank shrugged. “I wasn’t sure it was true though, Gerard was a little out of it when he told me so it could’ve been bullshit for all I knew.”

 

“True.” Andy nodded. “I’m gonna go see if he’s ok.” Andy got off the stool at the counter and wandered over to the bathroom door to knock on it gently.

 

Mikey was sat on the closed toilet seat, he looked over at the door. "Go away Frank, you ass!" He said, throwing an empty toilet roll tube at the door.

 

“I’m assuming Frank must be the cook. It’s not Frank.” Andy leaned against the door frame.

 

"Andy?...I thought you would've left?"

 

Andy made a face. “Why would I do that?”

 

"Because of what Frank said...about my unicorn?" Mikey said quietly.

 

Andy chuckled quietly enough that Mikey wouldn’t hear him. “So Pierce the Unicorn is real then?”

 

Mikey swallowed, chewing on his lip for a moment. "Yes..." He said quietly. "...but it was a present from a friend, a long time ago."

 

“Sounds kind of cute.” Andy smiled. “I don’t know how I’m jealous of a fucking stuffed unicorn though, but I kind of am.”

 

Mikey leaned over and undid the lock on the door. He looked up at Andy with a small smirk. "You...are?"

 

“Well yeah,” Andy poked his head in. “He gets kisses from you, he’s one lucky ass unicorn.” He pouted a little.

 

Mikey stood up and stepped toward the other boy. "You know..." He said, confidence raising and voice dropping low. "... _you_ could get kisses too, if you wanted?"

 

“I could?” Andy smiled gently. “And how would I accomplish that?”

 

"By joining me in here." Mikey said with a full-on smirk. Andy’s smile widened a bit and went a little crooked as he stepped into the bathroom with Mikey. Mikey reached passed Andy to close the door and click the lock, before backing Andy against the wall. "Hi." He said quietly, his face about an inch from the other boy's.

 

“Hello.” Andy chuckled and stayed there with his back against the wall, looking down a little at the shorter boy.

 

Mikey smiled. "You wanted kisses?"

 

“Yeah.” Andy chuckled and leaned his head down towards Mikey. Mikey tiptoed slightly, grabbing handfuls of the front of Andy's shirt to steady himself, then pressed his lips to the taller boy's.

 

Andy leaned down a little more, realizing Mikey was having difficulty, and slipped his arms around his waist. Mikey slipped his arms around Andy's neck and licked at the older boy's lip, asking for entrance. Andy parted his lips and made a little noise deep in the back of his throat. Mikey smirked slightly against Andy's lips before sliding his tongue into the warm, wet space and tangling his fingers in the back of the tattooed boy's hair, pulling lightly.

 

Andy growled a little at Mikey pulling his hair, not because he didn’t like it. More so because he did and he just wanted to enjoy kissing the cute waiter right now. Mikey liked that noise. He pressed deeper into the kiss and pushed his knee between Andy's thighs. Andy made the noise again, even though he was sure that was what had spurred him on. Mikey pushed himself right up against Andy, his thigh pressing against the boy's crotch as he gripped his hair, twisting it slightly and kissing him harder.

 

Frank pounded on the bathroom door. “Oi! Mikey, get your ass back out here. You have a customer, eh!”

 

Mikey pulled away quickly, a line of spit connecting their mouths for a second before it broke. His cheeks turned bright red again in a second.

 

"Ok Frank, I'm coming!..."

 

He turned to look at Andy as he heard Frank walk away.

 

"Are you?"

 

He asked with a wink, then opened the door and returned to work, leaving Andy to sort himself out if he needed to.

 

~~~~~

 

Frank finished shutting down the kitchen and getting things cleaned up. He looked up at Mikey to see how much longer he’d be with cleaning up the front of house. The diner had been basically dead for the last 20 minutes, so Mikey already had everything sorted. He'd wiped down all of the tables, swept the floor, emptied the trash, checked the bathroom and was just finishing cashing out his register. He felt eyes on him and turned to see Frank looking at him.

 

"I'm just about done Frank, you still ok if I come to the hospital with you?"

 

“Yeah, do you drive?” Frank asked as he hung up his apron and put the last towel in the hamper.

 

Mikey nodded. "Yeah, I've got my car parked out back."

 

“Alright you can follow me or meet me there then.” Frank shrugged.

 

"I'll follow you, I don't know how to get there from here." Mikey said with a laugh as he grabbed his jacket. Frank nodded and stood by the door to wait for him.

 

Mikey pulled his car key out of his pocket ready, then grinned at Frank as he slipped out of the door passed him, and headed to the small lot at the back that held probably no more than 6 cars max.

 

He walked over to his beat up grey car, with its missing passenger door that he'd replaced with a mass of duct-tape, and unlocked the driver's door. He got in and slammed the door as it wouldn't shut otherwise, then put the key in the ignition.

 

5 minutes and 25 attempts to start the car later, Mikey got back out, slammed the door _way_ harder than he had when he'd gotten in, and slouched over to where Frank was stood by his bike waiting, trying not to laugh with a cigarette in his mouth.

 

"Don't say a fucking word Frank." Mikey huffed.

 

“What the fuck kind of car is that, Way?” Frank chuckled and threw his smoke on the ground and stamped it with the heel of his shoe. He swung his leg over his bike and shook his head. “Get on and let’s go.” He indicated the seat behind him. Mikey wasn’t only half there like Gerard was so Mikey could damn well hold on, he was not sitting in front of Frank like a kid.

 

Mikey huffed, muttering curses and all the things he wanted to do to the guy who'd sold him that pile of crap car. He climbed onto the bike behind Frank and grabbed Frank's hips to keep himself in place. "Get us there in one piece, yeah Frank?"

 

“If I could get your brother there in one piece, I’m sure I can get you there. At least I’m not worried about holding you on the damn bike.” Frank kicked it to life and kicked up the stand. “Just hold on and if the wind is too much you can hide your face in my back, ok?” He called over the rumble of the bike’s engine.

 

"I've been on the back of a bike before Frank." Mikey grumbled...and he'd been in such a good mood before, after seeing Andy. He held on tight and they set off.

 

Frank didn’t go too fast but he did go faster than he did with Gerard. Traffic was a bitch right then and Frank wrinkled his nose as some asshole almost cut him off and then yelled at Frank like it was his fault. He flipped them off and kept going. He pulled into the parking lot but there were no spots near the doors this time so he parked at the other end of the lot before he shut it off and put out the kick.

 

"About fucking time..." Mikey muttered under his breath as he got off of the bike. "Let's go Frank. What ward's he in anyway?"

 

“They hadn’t quite decided where to put him yet, the nurse will tell us where he is when she sees me. She said she’d be here most of the evening and didn’t get out till much later.” Frank said as he headed off toward the doors.

 

Mikey followed behind, hands in his pockets, muttering to himself. "Trust Gerard to brain himself on his first day."

 

Frank shot a sharp glare at the kid behind him before he stepped inside and looked around for the nurse from earlier. Mikey rolled his eyes, but put a blank expression on his face as a short woman in a nurse's uniform walked toward them with a smile on her face.

 

"Hi there, Frank wasn't it?..." She asked, raising her eyebrows. "Glad you came back."

 

“Yeah, and how’s he doing?” Frank stood there with her. “Oh, this is his little brother, Mikey.”

 

The nurse smiled, nodding hello to Mikey. Mikey grunted his hello back.

 

"Well, I checked on him a little while ago and he was sleeping, the doctor said it's not as serious as it seemed earlier. Would you like to see him?"

 

“Yes, thank you. Where is he?” Frank asked her politely.  

 

"There weren't any beds free on the main ward, so he's been moved into the Emergency Assessment Unit..." The nurse pointed to a corridor on the right. "Go down there and take the first left, then follow the signs for the EAU..." She smiled, patting Frank's arm lightly. "Try not to look so worried, I'm sure he'll be ok."

 

“Thank you, and I’ll try, I just want to know what the hell actually happened to him.” Frank sighed.

 

"As far as I know, he hasn't said yet. Maybe _you_ can get him to talk...he was asking for you before he went to sleep you know." The nurse smiled at the two men then returned to her work.

 

"He asked for _you_?!" Mikey said with disbelief.

 

Frank shrugged and shook his head. “I guess...come on let’s go find him. Thank you again.” Frank headed off in the direction the nurse said to, not really waiting for Mikey cause he knew he could catch up anyway. Mikey huffed and trailed behind, muttering to himself about how he could've been home now, watching Porn and jerking off. Frank wandered till he spotted Gerard. He looked back to make sure Mikey had actually followed him and then moved over towards Gerard.

 

Gerard was curled up on his side on the narrow and uncomfortable hospital gurney...he hadn't even been given a proper bed. He had slept for a while earlier, but the Assessment Unit was too noisy and now he was just laying there feeling exhausted and alone. At least the painkillers had kicked in though, that was something.

 

Frank gently put his hand on Gerard’s shoulder and saw that he was awake. “Hey you, how are you feeling?”

 

Gerard jumped slightly, turning startled eyes toward Frank, before relaxing when he realised who it was. "Oh err, hey..." He said quietly, a blush taking over his pale cheeks. He smiled softly. "I feel embarrassed. I'm sorry you had to deal with me like that..." Suddenly his smile dropped and a look of horror crossed his face. "Wait I...I didn't throw up on you...did I?"

 

“It’s fine, Gerard, you needed help and I wasn’t about to just leave you there. And no you didn’t, it’s fine.” Frank smiled back softly. “I brought your brother to see you.” Frank chuckled and gestured at Mikey.

 

Gerard looked over at Mikey, Mikey huffed. "There are easier ways to get out of working, Gee."

 

Gerard looked down and away. "I'm sorry for b-being a bother."

 

Frank glared at Mikey. “Go find a chair, sit in it and shut up, quit acting like a six year old.” he said sternly and looked back at Gerard. “You’re not being a bother, it’s ok. Can I ask you something though?” Gerard swallowed, nodding silently with his eyes still lowered. “Do you remember what happened to you when you went to take out the trash any better now?”

 

Gerard nodded again and he looked up shyly through his lashes. "Y-yeah."

 

“Can you tell me what you remember?” Frank asked him.

 

Gerard chewed on his lip for a moment, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening. He looked back at Frank. "S-something scared me...I turned r-round and t-tripped over something. I m-must've hit m-my head on the wall." He looked down, hoping Frank didn't ask _what_ had scared him.

 

Frank watched Gerard’s face and frowned. “Gerard...is that all you remember? I’m not going to tell anyone else anything you don’t want them to know. Not even Mikey. The only person other than me that will know is Tony and that’s because he has to know for paperwork crap. Don’t hold things back, ok?”

 

Gerard swallowed, looking up slowly. "Promise?"

 

“Cross my heart.” Frank nodded.

 

Gerard took a deep breath, then let it out slowly before whispering..."A cat."

 

Frank looked at him in confusion. “A cat scared you? Are you afraid of cats?” Frank asked very quietly. “Or did it just startle you?”

 

Gerard bit on his lip, cheeks flushing. "It...it snuck up on me. I think it was a ninja."

 

“I don’t know about a ninja but cats are sneaky as fuck, I’ll give you that.” Frank chuckled. “It’s ok, I’ll just tell the boss you were startled and fell.” Frank held his arms out in offer of a hug.

 

Gerard smiled brightly, moving up and into Frank's arms. "Thank you Frank..." He murmured, hugging back. "Hey, maybe I could make a comic about a ninja cat...do you think that'd work?"

 

“I think that’d be funny, I would read that.” Frank chuckled.

 

Gerard pulled his face out of the crook of Frank's neck and grinned at him, all wide eyed and happy. "You would?...really?"

 

“Hell yeah.” Frank smiled wide back at the other boy. Gerard giggled.

 

"What's the joke?" Mikey said abruptly, sipping on a cup of coffee as he walked over to the bedside. Gerard's smile slipped and he looked down, letting go of Frank and moving to lay back down.

 

"Nothing, Mikes, doesn't matter." He mumbled quietly.

 

Frank frowned at Gerard’s reaction and looked up at Mikey. “Didn’t I tell you to go find a chair and sit in it?”

 

Mikey shrugged. "I did, I got bored and went for coffee...now I'm bored again."

 

“What happened to visiting your brother? You’re the one that asked me to bring you with me to see him.” Frank looked at the boy with an unimpressed scowl.

 

Mikey rolled his eyes then looked at Gerard. "You're ok, right?..." Gerard nodded, not looking up. Mikey looked back at Frank. "See?...he's fine, can you drive me back now?"

 

“You think the duct tape mobile is even gonna work or do you want me to drop you at home?” Frank frowned and looked at Gerard.

 

"Nah, if you can drop me home that'll be cool. I'll get my friend Spanner to pick up the car tomorrow." Mikey said, pulling his cellphone from his pocket and typing out a text.

 

"Did you..." Gerard started quietly. Mikey looked up at him like he just interrupted something supremely important. Gerard swallowed and started again. "Did you tell mom where I am?"

 

"Yeah, she said that it sounds like you." Mikey went back to his text.

 

Frank made a face and leaned down beside Gerard. “You want me to come back after I ditch this little shit at home?” he whispered.

 

"You don't have to..." Gerard said quietly, shaking his head slightly and looking down. "I'm sure you've got much better things to do."

 

“No, not really, but if you don’t want me to come back then I won’t.” Frank said gently.

 

"No please?..." Gerard said quickly, and maybe a little desperately...ok, a _lot_ desperately as his head snapped up, wide eyes meeting Frank's before he turned red and started to splutter with embarrassment. "I mean...I'd like you to come back. I don't like hospitals..." He leaned a little closer to Frank, dropping his voice as if telling a secret. "They have needles...I don't trust them."

 

“I’ll be back in no more than twenty minutes then.” Frank smiled and kissed the side of Gerard’s head without thinking again, immediately internally kicking himself in the ass for it. He straightened up and went over to Mikey to grab hold of him and leave.

 

"You kissed my brother..." Mikey said with a smirk. "Aren't you afraid you'll catch it?"

 

“Catch what?” Frank glared as he hauled the idiot teenager out to his bike.

 

Mikey laughed. "Didn't you notice?...Gee's got a bad case of clumsy loser."

 

“Says the awkward teenager that kisses a unicorn. Get on the bike and shut up or you can walk home.” Frank swung his leg over the bike. “Your brother is far from a loser, clumsy maybe, but no more than you are.”

 

Mikey huffed and climbed on the bike behind Frank. "You don't know him like I do...but at least he didn't come into work in a skirt today, would've _really_ had something to laugh at then."

 

“Does he wear skirts often?” Frank raised an eyebrow.

 

Mikey scoffed. "He wore them all through high school. He used to go to school in jeans then change there cause dad would've kicked his ass if he saw him in a skirt...in the end, he did."

 

Frank frowned and started his bike. “Get on the bike and shut up.”

 

Mikey rolled his eyes and climbed on behind Frank. "You asked dude."

 

“Yeah whatever, you’re going to have to tell me which way to go, cause I don’t know where you live. Also is there a chance your parents will come after me for you being on my bike?” Frank glanced back at Mikey.

 

"I live on Salter Place and no, mom will be at her club and dad will probably be at Mary's...you're good..." Mikey chuckled. "Do you know where Salter is?"

 

Frank nodded and gave Mikey that ‘hold on tight’ look before he took off. He knew where most things were so finding where Mikey lived wasn’t really a problem. Jersey drivers were testing his patience though. When he pulled up to Mikey’s place when he pointed it out it did actually look like no one was home. He stopped out front and stood to hold the bike steady while Mikey climbed off.

 

"See you at work tomorrow Frank?"

 

Frank waved and watched him go into his house just so he could say for certain he knew Mikey was at home and theoretically safe. He took off back to the hospital to sit with Gerard. He was sure Gerard would tell him to fuck off after kissing him like that yet again, Frank didn’t even know why his brain thought that was a good idea. He walked into the hospital and didn’t wait for the nurse this time. He knew where Gerard was so that’s where he went. Gerard was curled up on his side with his knees pulled up to his chest and his face buried in his arms when Frank walked in. He was shaking slightly, soft sobs escaping his lips.

 

“Hey, what’s the matter?” Frank moved over to crouch beside Gerard.

 

Gerard lifted his face a little, a pout on his lips and tears in his eyes. "They...they..." He held out his left arm to show Frank the small white bandaid in the crook of his elbow. "They _stabbed_ me!" He cried, bottom lip wobbling.

 

“What? I told them not to do that. For fuck sakes, come here.” Frank held out his arms for Gerard again. “I’m sorry.”

 

Gerard sobbed loudly then threw himself into Frank's arms, burying his face into the side of Frank's neck and clinging to his shirt like a baby koala. "I w-wanna g-go home...why won't th-they let m-me go home?"

 

Frank shushed him and held him tight, rubbing his back soothingly. “I know, Gerard, I know. I’m sorry. They want to keep you here to keep an eye on you in case there is something really wrong. You hit your head so they are just taking precaution. I don’t know why they gave you a needle after I fucking told them not to though, what the hell was it even for?”

 

"They s-said everyone has to h-have blood tests done. I s-said no but th-they held m-my arm and took it anyw-way." Gerard whimpered against Frank's neck.

 

“They can’t do that to you, if you tell them no they can’t touch you. What the fuck, where is that nurse?” Frank looked around.

 

Gerard held on tighter. "Don't leave me alone Frank, please?" He begged, looking up with big wet eyes.

 

“I won’t, it’s ok, I’m not going anywhere. You’ll be ok, I promise.” Frank automatically slipped into focusing on making Gerard feel better. He still watched for the nurse but Gerard was his priority.

 

Gerard nodded shakily then rested his head against Frank's chest. "Th-thank you Frank, I'm s-sorry I'm such a m-mess...dad always said I n-need to toughen up, but needles..." He trailed off, whimpering quietly.

 

“That is complete bullshit, if it scares you then it scares you. End of story. This toughen up shit is just...no.” Frank frowned, and sighed. “I can’t go across foot bridges. They freak me the fuck out.”

 

Gerard hiccuped slightly then looked up curiously. "You...you can't?"

 

“Nope and if something is on the top shelf and I can’t reach it then I don’t need it and it stays there. I can’t climb up to get it usually.” Frank shook his head.

 

Gerard giggled slightly. "I c-can climb, but I can't walk d-down stairs on my own...if I c-climb up for things for you, would you h-hold my hand walking down the stairs?...and escalators?"

 

Frank nodded and laughed. “Yeah, that works. I can climb up people funnily enough.”

 

"You can c...wait, _what_?" Gerard tilted his head in confusion.

 

“My buddy, Bob, is usually the target of that, he’s fun to bother and he doesn’t mind when I climb up onto his shoulders but he makes sure I don’t fall so that’s probably why I can do it.” Frank smiled widely.

 

Gerard giggled, then yawned. "I'm tired Frank, would you lay down with me?...I don't want them to come stab me again when I'm asleep."

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” Frank smiled. “I’ll sit here with you but I don’t know how they’d feel about me laying down with you. I’ll stay for as long as you want me to though.”

 

Gerard swallowed and looked down, his smile dropping. He lowered his arms from where he was still hugging Frank. "O-oh, ok..." He said quietly. "...you d-don't have to."

 

“I can try, but they might yell at me.” Frank hugged him tight again. “Ah fuck it, they can yell all they want, if they don’t like it too bad. Scoot over a bit.”

 

Gerard brightened up again, looking up with a grateful smile. "Thank you Frankie." He pressed a quick kiss to Frank's cheek then shuffled over a bit on the gurney and lay down on his side, facing Frank and smiling sweetly. Frank smiled and hopped up onto the gurney gently to lay down facing Gerard. Gerard snuggled against Frank's chest, curling his fingers into the front of Frank's shirt. "You're warm..." He said with a small yawn after, just like a kitten. "...and cuddly."

 

“That’s because cuddles are good.” Frank smiled down at him and put his arms around him the best he could.

 

Gerard hummed in agreement, yawning again. "Wish I had Toby to cuddle..." He murmured, half asleep already. "...but you're better cause you cuddle back."

 

“Who’s Toby?” Frank smiled gently and cuddled his face carefully into Gerard’s head, being extra cautious of where he’d hit it.

 

"He's my Toby..." Gerard mumbled. "...my...teddy bear."

 

Frank chuckled and kissed Gerard’s forehead. “Sounds really cute.”

 

"He's got a...tutu like...like mine." Gerard mumbled as he started to drift off to sleep, curled up safe in Frank's arms.

 

“Go to sleep, I’ll still be here when you wake up and you can tell me about Toby some more if you want.” Frank said softly. Gerard mumbled something as he rubbed his face against Frank's shirt, then sighed deeply as he slipped into his dreams. Frank settled in to stay with him until he woke up or someone woke him up. It vaguely crossed his mind that visiting hours have limits and he frowned. He didn’t want to have to leave Gerard here. He promised he wouldn’t.

 

~~~~~

 

"Sir..." A nurse with black hair and bright blue eyes shook Frank's shoulder gently to wake him. "Sir, it's nearly ten o'clock at night...you can't stay. I'm sorry but you have to leave now." She said quietly, trying not to wake Gerard, or any of the other patients in the room.

 

Frank sat up carefully and looked at the woman. “He didn’t want me to leave, seens how people here can’t be bothered to listen when they are told not to do something and freak him out.” Frank glared, remembering that they’d taken blood from him even after being told no needles.

 

The nurse frowned slightly, tilting her head to the right. "What do you mean?...what happened?"

 

“The staff here was told no needles were to go near him because he’s afraid of them and gets freaked out. They apparently forced him to let them take blood anyway.” Frank frowned angrily.

 

The nurse frowned deeper. "Do you know who it was?...you can put in a complaint if they caused your boyfriend distress."

 

“No, I don’t and he’s not…” Frank looked at Gerard. “He’s not my boyfriend, he’s my coworker...I just...he makes you want to take care of him. That’s all.”

 

Gerard whimpered, shifting at Frank's side and clutching tight to hem of his shirt. The nurse smiled, raising an eyebrow. "I can see that..." She sighed, shaking her head a little."I shouldn't really do this, but you can stay with him. Just don't make a nuisance of yourself, you hear?"

 

“I won’t be a problem, I promise, thank you.” Frank nodded and looked back at Gerard. The nurse seriously thought they were together. Frank chuckled to himself as he heard the nurse walk away. Gerard was cute and talented, Frank could only be so lucky. Frank shook his head and laid back down.

 

"F-Frank?" Gerard whimpered, pressing himself tighter against Frank's chest.

 

“Yeah, Gerard, I’m right here.” Frank wrapped his arms back around Gerard.

 

"D-don't l-leave me here."

 

“I won’t but you gotta whisper if you want to talk or they might kick me out. She said I could stay the night with you as long as I behave.” Frank chuckled.

 

Gerard nodded with his face smushed against Frank's shirt. "I d-dreamt he c-came back." He whispered shakily.

 

“Who came back?” Frank frowned and whispered back.

 

Gerard sniffed. "The n-needle man."

 

Frank made a funny face. “I’d like to see him try, that’s why I’m here. He can’t get you if I’m here.”

 

"Y-you'll protect me?"

 

“Of course I will.” Frank pressed a gentle kiss to Gerard’s forehead. Then he froze and pulled away, he sighed. He could see where the nurse got such a dumb idea from and he honestly didn’t know why he kept doing that. It was just kind of...instinctual and it made no sense.

 

Gerard yawned and wriggled against Frank, pressing himself in closer. "Thank you Frank..." He murmured, leaning up a little to press a small kiss to Frank's cheek before settling back down. "You're a g-good friend..." He closed his eyes and sighed quietly. "Good night, Frankie."

 

“Good night, Gerard.” Frank sighed, kind of deflating. Good friend. He knew that’s all he could be in Gerard’s mind and now it was confirmed. He listened to the other boy’s breathing and let that lull him back to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gerard blinked at Frank then tilted his head, pouting slightly. "What are you laughing at?...do I kiss funny?"
> 
> “No, no. You’re really good at kissing. The nurse last night...when she let me stay with you she thought I was your boyfriend.” Frank chuckled. 
> 
> Gerard smiled as a blush coloured his cheeks. He looked down, then up at Frank through his lashes with a quiet, nervous giggle. "And?...do you want to be?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***thePetetoherPatrick***  
> This chapter actually pissed me off (thanks to ***GeesCLUELESSgirl***'s uncanny ability to write characters for me to hate) but at the same time I loved all the cute parts. Hope you guys enjoy this   
> xoxo

Gerard was woken up by shouting; a prisoner in handcuffs being brought into the assessment unit by two prison guards...he had the handle of a shiv sticking out of his shoulder.  Gerard squeaked and buried his face in Frank's chest, whimpering slightly. Frank woke up to the shouting and Gerard pushing against him. He tightened his arms around him and looked to see what the noise was. He frowned and hugged Gerard tight. 

 

“It’s ok. I’ll protect you, remember?” 

 

Gerard swallowed, shaking slightly.

 

"I don't like shouting...dad used to."

 

“It’s not your dad and no one here is going to hurt you. I won’t let them. Here...”

 

Frank put his hands over Gerard’s ears. He knew it would only muffle it but that was better than nothing. He held his hands there until the shouting cut slowly got quieter. Frank could only assume they’d given the idiot some kind of sedative to shut him up. He pulled his hands away from Gerard’s ears and cupped his face in his hands. 

 

“You ok now?”  

 

Gerard nodded shakily. "Dad used to shout...then he'd..." He shivered and buried his face again for a moment before looking up again. "Can I go home now?"

 

“I have to ask the doctor but I think you should be able to go home today. I don’t have to work today. D…” Frank sighed and corrected himself. “Tony texted me after he left the diner yesterday and said he’d come in part of the day and Linda would take part of the day in case you needed me.” 

 

"That's nice of them..." Gerard said with a small smile. "Frank, can you ask the doctor now please?...I really don't like it here."

 

Frank looked around till he spotted the doctor just coming in. “Yeah, but I’ll have to leave you here for a minute to go talk to him. That ok?” 

 

A flash of fear crossed Gerard's face for a second and he took in a deep, shaky breath, his fingers clenching Frank's shirt harder before he slowly released it and nodded, swallowing heavily. "O-ok Frank."

 

“Don’t worry, I won’t be gone long.” Frank hugged Gerard again before he swung his legs over the side of the bed. He got up and wandered over to the doctor. “Uh...Dr. Stump?” 

 

The doctor turned around at the sound of his name. “Oh, hello, can I help you with something?” 

 

“Uh, yeah I brought my friend in yesterday with a concussion. You kept him overnight but he’s asking if he can go home now?” Frank asked and looked back where he left Gerard. He looked alright. 

 

“Well, let me have a look at him and we’ll see.” Dr. Stump nodded and let Frank lead him back to Gerard. “I hear you want to go home.” The small doctor smiled at Gerard. 

 

Gerard looked up at the doctor through his hair and nodded. "Please?" He said in a small voice, his arms hugging around himself nervously.

 

“Alright, let me get a look at you first, how does your head feel?” Dr. Stump smiled and watched the boy. 

 

Gerard shrugged slightly. "It's ok."

 

“Tilt your head so I can take a look.” The doctor tilted Gerard’s head carefully and looked it over. He nodded and stepped back so Gerard could bring his head back up. “Is your memory returning?”  

 

Gerard nodded, his eyes flicking to Frank then down as his cheeks heated up. "Yes."

 

“Well you don’t seem to be having issues with your speech anymore and if no one is telling me otherwise I’ll assume you slept fine. You don’t seem to be passing out anymore. You seem ok, so yes I’ll sign the form for you to be released but I suggest that if you live alone maybe stay with someone for a bit just in case. Alright?” Dr. Stump smiled happily at him.

 

Gerard smiled and nodded. "Thank you doctor." 

 

“No problem.” Dr. Stump smiled and headed for the desk, motioning for Frank and Gerard to follow him. Frank held his hand out to Gerard. Gerard smiled shyly and took Frank's hand before climbing down off of the gurney and letting himself be led after the doctor. Dr. Stump talked to one of the nurses and signed a form before handing the clipboard back to her. “You’re free to go, if you experience any problems or persistent extreme headaches please come back in to see us. Try to take it easy though for a couple of days.” 

 

Gerard nodded. "I will, thank you..." He looked at Frank with a smile. "Can you...I mean if it's not too much to ask, and I know I've been a pain but could you...could you take me home please Frank?" He asked hopefully.

 

“You are not a pain, and of course I’ll take you home, I’m not going to leave you here. Come on.” Frank smiled up at Gerard. 

 

"Thanks Frankie..." Gerard smiled before pressing a kiss to Frank's cheek. "You're the best."

 

“I don’t know about that but I try to be decent at least.” Frank chuckled and helped Gerard get dressed. “Let’s go.” He caught the eye of the nurse that thought they were together. She was chuckling and he sighed. He led Gerard out to his bike. “Do you want to ride in front of me like you did before? Or do you think you can ride normal?” 

 

Gerard looked at Frank funny. "When was I on your bike, Frankie?"

 

“Uh...how do you think you got here? I don’t own a car.” Frank furrowed his brows at Gerard.

 

"Oh um...I didn't remember." Gerard giggled uncertainly. 

 

“Oh...well shit...are you ok riding my bike then? Or do you want me to call Linda to come get us?” Frank looked at Gerard, a little worried. 

 

Gerard looked at the bike then back at Frank. He grinned and nodded. "I always wanted to ride on the back of a motorbike."

 

Frank laughed. “Ok, well here’s your chance.” Frank swung his leg over the bike and sat forward on the seat so Gerard could get on. 

 

Gerard giggled and climbed on behind Frank, wrapping his arms around the other man's middle and pressing against his back. "Is this ok?"

 

“Yeah, just loosen up for a sec so I can kick this thing to life, and then it is ideal that you hold on tight.” Frank laughed and turned the key. Gerard giggled...glad that Frank couldn't see that his cheeks were the colour of ripe tomatoes. He loosened his grip. Frank kicked the starter and the bike rumbled under them. “Ok, now you can hold on.” 

 

Gerard wound his arms around Frank tighter again and lay his cheek against the back of Frank's shoulder. His whole body was pressed flush against Frank's back and he could only hope he didn't get a boner, that would be so embarrassing and he could  _ never _ face Frank again if that happened. He didn't want to never see Frank again...he _ liked _ Frank, even if he couldn't tell him that. "Ok, I'm ready."

 

Frank nodded and put up the kick stand, before slowly backing out of the spot and heading out onto the road. Frank remembered where he’d taken Mikey yesterday and headed in that direction. He was pretty sure Mikey worked today but he wasn’t certain. He drove carefully, trying not to frighten Gerard but not going slow either. He loved riding his bike and he kind of wanted Gerard to enjoy it too. The traffic wasn’t terrible and it didn’t take long to get to Gerard’s neighbourhood. Frank pulled up to the curb and turned off his bike, putting out the stand. One of the neighbours gave him a disapproving look and went back inside their house.  

 

Gerard had a death grip on the front of Frank's coat and was trembling slightly, his face buried in the back of Frank's shoulder now. Frank looked at Gerard’s hands and gently got him to let go of him. He turned and looked at Gerard. “Hey, you ok?” 

 

Gerard lifted his face to look at Frank and revealed a wide, bright smile. "Oh my  _ God _ Frankie...that was amazing!..." Without thinking, Gerard pressed his lips to Frank's. After a second or two he suddenly realised what he was doing and pulled back, all the colour draining from his face and his eyes going wide.

 

"Oh G-God. I sh-shouldn't have done that, I'm so s-sorry Frankie..." He rambled quickly as he scrambled to get off of the bike before he managed to embarrass himself further. "...p-please don't be mad...please?” He backed up a step and his foot caught the curb. He squeaked out a gasp and fell back on his ass on the sidewalk. 

 

Frank got off his bike and picked Gerard up, putting him back on his feet. “Hey, easy, it’s ok. Gerard, I’m not mad.” Frank hesitated for a second before he kissed Gerard. 

 

Gerard froze for about 2.3 seconds then began to kiss back, his arms moving up and around Frank's neck as his knees felt weak beneath him. He pressed his body as close to Frank's as he possibly could. Frank wrapped his arms around Gerard’s waist and deepened the kiss. This felt good and right. Gerard sighed happily, his lips parting a little. Frank slipped his tongue into Gerard’s mouth, exploring carefully and moaning quietly into the kiss. He was vaguely aware that anyone could see them but he didn’t actually care. Gerard whimpered quietly, letting Frank take control of the kiss...of  _ him _ if Frank wanted that. Frank broke the kiss to catch his breath, looking at Gerard and smiling. He could get used to that, to kissing Gerard like that. He smiled at Gerard and kissed him again gently. Then he laughed and shook his head as his brain decided to replay the nurse’s comments. 

 

Gerard blinked at Frank then tilted his head, pouting slightly. "What are you laughing at?...do I kiss funny?"

 

“No, no. You’re really good at kissing. The nurse last night...when she let me stay with you she thought I was your boyfriend.” Frank chuckled. 

 

Gerard smiled as a blush coloured his cheeks. He looked down, then up at Frank through his lashes with a quiet, nervous giggle. "And?...do you  _ want _ to be?"

 

“I’d like that.” Frank smiled widely. “Do  _ you  _ want me to be?” 

 

Gerard nodded. "Yes Frankie, I'd  _ really _ like th..."

 

"GERARD ARTHUR WAY, GET YOUR FAG ASS IN THIS HOUSE...NOW!"

 

Gerard squeaked in fear as his dad exploded out of the front door in nothing but boxers and a stained vest, his face red with rage. Frank’s eyes went wide as he looked at the man. He looked back at Gerard and the boy looked terrified. 

 

“Uh...or no...Gerard...if you go in there is he going to hurt you?” He frowned and asked quietly. “And don’t lie to me.” 

 

Gerard turned wide eyes to Frank for a second then back to his dad. "I SAID  _ NOW _ , FAG!" 

 

Gerard jumped and looked down. "Yes papa..." He murmured, then looked at Frank sadly. "I'll see you later, Frankie."

 

“Gerard,” he caught his hand. “You can come home with me if you don’t feel safe here. I won’t let him hurt you. The doctor said you’re supposed to be taking it easy.” 

 

Gerard's dad stepped over and grabbed Gerard's other arm, fingers digging into the boy's upper arm harshly as he put his other hand against Frank's chest and pushed him backward. "He's staying here..." He spat angrily as Gerard whimpered. "...and you can fuck off."

 

Frank frowned but felt like saying anything more would make it worse for Gerard. “Don’t forget you have work tomorrow, Gerard. Tony’ll be pissed if you miss it.” He said, knowing full well Tony would not be pissed and that Gerard did not have work tomorrow. He doubted Gerard’s father would object to him going to work though. 

 

Gerard nodded slightly with his head still down. "Ok Frankie. Thank you for driving me home."

 

"Right, inside now fag." Gerard's dad turned and dragged Gerard inside without another glance at Frank, then slammed the door shut.

 

Frank cringed and really didn’t want to leave Gerard there but what the hell choice did he have. He was way smaller than Gerard’s father. He would just show up at the diner tomorrow and take Gerard home with him, take care of him and keep him safe. He walked back down to his bike and swung his leg over, thinking that maybe he should talk to Mikey. Gerard watched Frank ride away from behind the slightly yellowing net curtains of the living room. He sighed...now that Frank had seen that, why the hell would he want to be his boyfriend?

 

"Get away from the window, fag..." His dad grunted from the sofa. "Don't know why Donna agreed to let you come back here anyway. Get out of my sight."

 

"Yes papa." Gerard said weakly, turning and heading to Mikey's room. He closed the door, kicked off his sneakers, stripped down to his boxers then climbed into Mikey's bed, curling into a ball and crying himself back to sleep.

 

_-_-_-_-_-_

 

Mikey was just finished serving a woman with impossibly big hair and the most hideous dress imaginable, when he looked up at the sound of the door opening. He smiled quickly at the woman then walked over to Frank.

 

"Hey, I didn't think you were coming in today...where's Gee?" 

 

“I need to talk to you but I doubt here is the place for that so finish what you are doing and take a smoke break.” Frank frowned and looked at Tony for confirmation. Tony nodded that it was alright. 

 

Mikey raised an eyebrow in query, then shrugged. "Sure, let me just get this lady's iced tea, then I'll be with you..." He leaned in close to Frank and lowered his voice a bit. "Who the fuck drinks iced tea in  _ this _ weather, am I right?" He chuckled, then went to make the drink without waiting for a reply. 

 

Frank shook his head and went outside to light a smoke. He waited for Mikey, leaning against the side of the diner. After a couple of minutes, Mikey walked out of the door, pulling his own smokes from his pocket and walking over to Frank. "Hey, can I borrow your lighter?...I lost mine."

 

Frank pulled his out of his pocket and held it out to Mikey. “So, Gerard wanted to go home, and I stupidly actually took him home.” 

 

Mikey lit his cigarette then handed the lighter back. He took a drag and blew the smoke out after a moment. "Yeah?...you meet dad?"

 

“If you mean the big angry asshole that came out of the house yelling at Gerard in his underwear...then yeah, I met him.” Frank took a drag of his smoke. “What the hell is his problem with your brother?” 

 

Mikey turned to look Frank in the eyes. "Dad's a homophobic skid mark...he found out that Gee's gay when Gee was still in high school. Let's just say he didn't take it too well."

 

“Does he not know about you then?” Frank frowned and then his eyes went wide. Their dad had probably seen him making out with Gerard in the driveway. He muttered under his breath. “Shit.”

 

Mikey shook his head, taking another drag before answering. "Nah. I never take anyone there...if I'm with a guy, I'll go to his..." He chuckled. "Mom and dad think I'm with this chick called Ally...she's gay too and we're each other's beards, so to speak."

 

“So, you just let him treat Gerard like shit, and you verbally abuse him as if he’s not already dealing with enough shit?” Frank frowned and looked at Mikey. “Man am I glad I’m an only child.” 

 

Mikey looked at Frank funny. "Gee knows I'm joking Frank...we've  _ always _ been like this. If Gee is genuinely upset by something I say, he tells me. If he's in a bad way from dad...I take care of him..." He took another drag. "That's just how we are."

 

“Really? Cause that’s not what it looks like when Gerard cowers away from you like he’s afraid or ducks his head when you give him shit for something stupid. It seems more like he’s as afraid of you as he is your dad.” Frank made a face. “That’s not how family should be.” 

 

Mikey frowned. "Gee's  _ afraid  _ of me?..." He shook his head, suddenly trying to replay conversations he'd had with his brother in his head. "No no I...I never...I thought..." He sighed. "Fuck. I fucked up, didn't I."

 

Frank nodded. “Gerard doesn’t have work tomorrow but I told him he does, I’m gonna try and get him to stay with me. He deserves better than what your dad does to him. I have the basement apartment of Tony and Linda’s place and I have the space for him.” Frank sighed and flicked his cigarette, discarding ashes that were about to fall off anyway. 

 

"You really care about him, don't you." Mikey said with something approaching awe...it wasn't even a question.

 

Frank nodded and sighed. “He might be in rough shape when you get home though, and it’s my goddamn fault. I...should’ve paid attention better I guess.” 

 

Mikey frowned. "What happened?...you said dad was in his underwear which..." He chuckled slightly but without humour. "...no surprise, and that he shouted. But please, tell me  _ exactly _ what happened."

 

“I drove him home on my bike and he was so excited about it, I guess riding on the back of a bike was something he wanted to do. When we got there he got all excited and I don’t know why but he kissed me.” Frank smiled. “He got freaked out that he’d done it but I told him it was ok and...it turned into us kind of making out...in your driveway...where anyone could see us. Next thing I know your dad comes out yelling as loud as his lungs would allow calling Gerard some choice words I cannot bring myself to repeat.” Frank cringed at the sound of it in his memory. He felt really worried about Gerard. 

 

Mikey whistled tunelessly and shook his head. "Wow...no wonder dad yelled..." He sighed, his eyebrows drawing together. "I...I think we need to try to get Gee out of there sooner rather than later..." He looked at his watch, then back up at Frank. "It's 11:40 now. By 1, dad will be a six-pack down and  _ really _ looking for a fight. Gee shouldn't be there then."

 

“And how are we going to do that?” Frank frowned at Mikey. While getting Gerard out of there now was ideal, Frank was half the size of the man and Mikey was a scrawny teenager. “Without putting you on his punching bag list next.” 

 

Mikey shook his head. "Dad's never laid a finger on me...I'm the good son, remember?...the straight one. I'll distract dad and you sneak Gee out...I'll open the back door for you and tell you how to get to my room...ok?"

 

“You are as straight as the curly fries we serve, but other than that ok.” Frank nodded. “Your duct tape mobile gonna work? Cause they’ll hear my bike coming.” 

 

"I got mom's car today...it's ugly but it runs quiet."

 

“Ok, that works then. I’ll wait in the car with him.” Frank nodded again. He really hoped this worked.

 

Mikey nodded. "Cool. Ok, so when we get there, you go round the back and I'll go in the front. I'll go unlock the back door for you, but you should wait a couple minutes so I have time to get dad talking..." He took a final drag then flicked his cigarette into the gutter, blowing smoke out into the cold air. "When you go in, the door to the basement is on the left, next to the refrigerator, only open it about halfway else it'll squeak. Go down the stairs and my room's the door on the left. Get Gee, then get the hell out of there...I'll buy you as much time as I can, but dad's an unpredictable asshole and I can't guarantee he'll listen for more than five, ten minutes max."

 

“Sounds simple enough.” Frank nodded and finished off his smoke, tossing it with Mikey’s. “Let’s not fuck it up.” 

 

Mikey nodded, humming his agreement. "Do you think Tony will be ok with us cutting out?"

 

“Tony has a strong belief that family comes first and that you protect your family no matter the cost. I’d wager he’d be alright with us going to rescue Gerard.” Frank nodded and looked over at Mikey, he didn’t understand how a family could not be like that. 

 

Mikey raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?...I heard about parents like that...never thought they were real though." Frank raised an eyebrow at Mikey in confusion, wondering how Mikey knew Tony was his dad. He also felt really bad that Mikey didn’t know what a good family was like. 

 

Mikey took a breath, then let it out loudly. "So I'll go pull the car round the front while you go talk to Tony, yeah?"

 

“Yeah.” Frank nodded and pushed off the wall to head inside. He stepped inside and wandered back to the kitchen where Tony was working quietly. “Hey boss.”

 

Tony looked up and smiled at his son. “What do you need?” 

 

“I need to borrow Mikey for a bit.” Frank sighed and leaned on the serving window. 

 

“Oh? What’s wrong?” Tony set down what he was doing and looked at Frank in concern. 

 

“Gerard, his dad is...he needs to get out of that house and now. I’m gonna bring him to stay with me.” Tony’s frown deepened as Frank spoke. 

 

“Is he in trouble?” Tony looked really worried. 

 

“Like I said, his dad...he’s not like you, he’s one of those dads you always said you hated.” Frank said quietly, remembering his dad’s rants about shitty parents and family that didn’t act like family. 

 

Tony nodded and started to look angry. “Then go get him out of there, your mother will be here soon to take over from me anyway but I’ll stick around and work front of house.” 

 

“Thank you.” Frank nodded and turned to leave. 

 

“He means something to you doesn’t he?” Tony asked before Frank could get too far. 

 

Frank looked at him and nodded. “He asked me out today.” 

 

“Then he’s part of our family and we take care of our own. Go get him.” Tony nodded and shooed Frank away. Frank went back outside to meet Mikey by a small car. 

 

“We’re good to go.” Frank called to Mikey.  

 

Mikey grinned, leaning over to open the passenger door from his seat behind the wheel. "Get in, we got a rescue mission to take care of." 

 

“Let’s go then.” Frank climbed in and looked over at Mikey. As Mikey started driving he furrowed his brow and sighed. “Alright this is gonna bug the shit out of me, how’d you know Tony was my dad? I’ve been making an effort not to let you guys know cause the others make fun of me for it. So how did you know?” 

 

Mikey laughed, glancing at Frank before looking back at the road. "Something Tony said yesterday...he said your mom said to tell you that you left the kettle on the stove from making your oatmeal...I kinda put two and two together and got  _ dad _ ."

 

“Goddammit, yeah I guess that would give it away. I have a little, like...kitchen type thing in the basement but no stove, just a microwave, a counter and a little fridge. So I used the stove upstairs in Ma’s kitchen to boil the water for my oatmeal.” Frank looked down. It wasn’t his fault he liked peaches and cream oatmeal. It was good. “I forget to put away the kettle sometimes.” 

 

"You're a  _ cook _ , and you don't have a stove in your room?!...for shame." Mikey smirked sarcastically. 

 

“I’m a  _ chef _ who works as a simple cook.” Frank stuck his tongue out. He’d spent three years and more college tuition than he cared to admit to earn that title.

 

Mikey laughed. "Ok, so you're a  _ chef _ , and you don't have a stove in your room...better?"

 

“No, cause I’m still a shameful chef who doesn’t have his own stove.” Frank chuckled. “I cook upstairs for the family more than I cook for myself anyway.” 

 

Mikey smiled as he turned onto the street before that led to his. "Maybe you can get Gee to eat more when he's at yours, I've not seen him eat anything except that bacon you did him yesterday." 

 

“Yeah...that won’t fly with Ma.” Frank shook his head. “She wants to make sure anyone in her household is fed, healthy, and happy.”  

 

"Gee won't know what to do with that...he hasn't had anyone who cares that much in a while, I think..." Mikey said as he pulled up a few houses away from his and turned off the engine. "Ok, let's go." Frank nodded and climbed out of the car to follow Mikey. He didn’t know how far around the back he really had to go but he was just going to go till he saw a door he figured. He nodded at Mikey as he went around the side to find it and stand there and wait. 

 

Mikey took a breath and went inside. "Hey dad, what's up?"

 

His dad looked up and grunted, looking back at the tv, where some show about men with guns was holding his attention...for now at least. "Grab me another beer would ya?" He said, chugging the last of the can in his hand and then crushing it.

 

"Sure dad..." Mikey said with false cheer as he headed to the kitchen. Once out of sight, he went quickly to the back door and quietly turned the key that was always left in the lock. He looked out the window but couldn't see Frank...he hoped Frank could be quiet enough. He grabbed a beer from the fridge for his dad and a Coke for himself, then headed back into the living room. "Here you go dad. What you watching?"

 

Mikey perched on the arm of the sofa, trying to look relaxed, while simultaneously blocking his dad's view of the kitchen. While his dad started going on about the show, and how he thought maybe  _ he _ should get another gun, Mikey prayed that Frank could get this done as quickly and as quietly as possible.

 

Frank quietly slipped in through the door and followed Mikey’s directions, opening the door only enough to slip through and down to the basement. He opened Mikey’s door carefully and found Gerard on the bed inside. Gerard was laying curled up on his side with his back to the door. He knew at some point his dad would come down, but he'd hoped that he would have more time...that he'd be able to take more than the six painkillers he'd swallowed down dry since he'd dug them out of his backpack. He hoped that the six would be enough to dull the pain of whatever his dad was about to do. He whimpered quietly in anticipation. Frank looked at Gerard curled and moved over to touch his shoulder gently. “Gerard?” 

 

Gerard jolted slightly, then looked back with scared, glassy eyes. He swallowed, clutching the pill bottle tighter in his hand. "F-Frankie?"

 

“Come on, grab some shit you need and let’s go, Mikey is upstairs distracting your dad. I’m getting you the hell out of here.” Frank frowned at the bottle in his hand. “How many of those did you take?” 

 

"Not enough...can still...feel." Gerard said, his voice slurring slightly.

 

“That’s fine, baby, come on. You gotta get up and I can’t carry you it’ll be too noisy. What do you want me to pack for you?” Frank said quietly. “I’ll take care of you but I gotta get you out of here first.” 

 

Gerard rolled over awkwardly to face Frank properly, he pointed to the corner of the room. "I never unpacked...just...just my sketchbook." On the floor was his backpack, open but still full, and his sketchbook and pencil case sitting next to it. 

 

Frank picked up Gerard’s art stuff and fit it into the backpack, slinging the pack over his shoulder. “Ok, then come on before your brother loses you dad’s attention.” 

 

Gerard's eyes went wide. "Mikey's here?"

 

“Yes, he is.” Frank held out his hand for Gerard to grab hold of so he could help him up. “He’s waiting for us to get out and then he’s going to take us to the diner.” 

 

Gerard nodded slowly then took Frank's hand. "Is he...is he mad at me?"

 

“Who? Mikey? No, why would he be?” Frank helped him up off the bed and back into his clothes. “Tell me in the car.” Frank shushed him and they snuck out of Mikey’s room quietly. Frank peaked out of the basement to make sure Mr. Way was still busy with Mikey and tapping Mikey’s back to let him know they were heading out, before he shooed Gerard through the door and out the back, being careful not to squeak. Frank grabbed a hold of Gerard once they were outside and sighed in relief. He led him around the house and down to where Mikey had parked the car. Mikey had the key but they left the passenger door unlocked. Frank reached in and unlocked the back door to toss Gerard’s backpack in. Frank got Gerard in and flopped into the passenger seat, closing the door. “Ok, you’re safe now, we just need Mikey to get out here.” 

 

_-_-_-_-_-_

 

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be at work?" Don Way said, burping after and taking another swig of his beer. Mikey chuckled, holding up his wallet.

 

"Oh yeah. I came back for my wallet, then got engrossed in our conversation...oops."

 

Don rolled his eyes. "Well you should get goin' then..." He glanced toward Mikey's bedroom door, then back at his "good son" with a smirk. "I got things to do anyway."

 

Mikey swallowed, smiling awkwardly. "Ok, well I'll see you later then dad." He got up and headed toward the front door.

 

"Hey..." Don called, Mikey turned back to him with a raised eyebrow. "Don't hurry back after work."

 

Mikey felt kinda sick that this was his father, telling him to stay away so he could hurt Gerard. He gave a quick nod and left, needing to be far away right now. He took a couple of deep breaths after closing the front door behind himself, then ran over to his mom's car, getting in and shutting the door as soon as he got to it.

 

"I hate him." He said, decisively. 

 

Frank looked over at him. “And I don’t think I blame you even the slightest bit.” 

 

Gerard whimpered from where he was curled up on his side on the back seat, Mikey looked back at him with concern. "Are you ok?"

 

"Do...do you hate me too?"

 

" _ No _ Gee...never. I'm sorry I've been a dick to you..."

 

Gerard shrugged slightly, looking down. Mikey sighed, he knew he had a lot of making up to do. He turned to face forward again and started the car.

 

"Ok, so let's get out of here before dad reali..."

 

"FUCKING FAG!...GET BACK HERE!" Don yelled as he came flying out of the front door and headed straight for the car. Gerard squeaked fearfully and tried to disappear inside his hoodie.

 

"Mikey, get us the hell out of here now."

 

"Yes boss..." Mikey said, putting the car into drive and hitting the gas. "Hold on tight..."

 

He sent the car shooting forward, swerving around his dad as the angry man in his underwear ran out into the road to stop them. Gerard yelped as his head hit the door, but Mikey kept going...the further they could get, the better.

 

"I got a feeling I'm not going to be welcome back home tonight...you got a couch I can crash on Frank?"

 

“I do but I have a feeling Ma will try and put you in the spare bedroom at least, and Pops will agree with her so there is no use arguing.” Frank shrugged. “Besides, I’ll be on my couch tonight till I can find that stupid cushy cot Ma got when I was younger for sleepovers to put in my space to sleep on.” 

 

Mikey glanced at Frank as he slowed down to a sensible speed, they were three streets away now. "What, you don't have your own bed?"

 

“No, I do but…” He glanced back at Gerard. “I’m not putting him on the couch. He’s too tall to fit on my couch for starters, and secondly that’s just not how I was raised.” 

 

Mikey chuckled, glancing in the rear view mirror and seeing that Gerard looked like he was going to be asleep before they even reached the diner.

 

"He's not  _ that _ tall, 'sides, he sleeps curled up most times..." He grinned at Frank then back at the road. "But you're cool for giving up your bed for him...it's sweet."

 

“You underestimate how small my couch is. It barely fits my short ass on it. And of course I’d give him my bed.” Frank smiled faintly as he looked back at Gerard, remembering their conversation earlier. He smiled as he thought about what Tony had said. Gerard would be welcomed into a family that was safe and caring. Frank vaguely worried about that scaring Gerard but he figured he’d get used to it after a while. He could see Linda fussing over him now, she’d think he was cute and she’d be entirely right. “I think he needs a good night’s rest where he doesn’t have to worry about getting hurt.” 

 

Mikey frowned. "He was safe at the hospital."

 

“No, he was still freaked out because they took blood from him even after we specified no needles of any kind. They did it after I came back to work...hence why I have yet to change or shower since yesterday.” Frank sighed and leaned his head back against the headrest on the seat. 

 

Mikey chuckled slightly. "Sounds like you  _ both _ deserve a good night sleep in a real bed. Isn't yours big enough for two?"

 

“Well yeah, but I won’t unless he says it’s ok. I’m fine on the couch.” Frank shrugged. “Doesn’t bother me any.”

 

Mikey smirked. "Sure, keep telling yourself that..." He pulled the car into the lot behind the diner. "We're here."

 

Frank climbed out of the car and opened the back to lean into the backseat. He gently shook Gerard awake. “Come on, time to wake up.” He spoke softly, trying to wake Gerard up without startling him. 

 

Gerard whined quietly and opened his eyes. "F-Frankie?...where are we?"

 

“We’re at the diner. We can walk or we can take my bike to my place but we gotta stop in and talk to Tony and Linda first.” Frank smiled and offered to help Gerard out of the car. 

 

Gerard yawned and took Frank's hand, letting himself be pulled out, then leaning heavily against Frank. "Can we go on your bike please?...I liked that."

 

“Oh, I know you did. You gonna be awake enough to hold on though? Maybe get you some coffee to wake you up a bit.” Frank held Gerard up. 

 

Gerard perked up at the mention of coffee, but still yawned, squeaking sweetly at the end. "Coffee?...I could drink coffee. Could I have some bacon too?"

 

“Yeah, we might be able to get you some bacon. Come on, Tony is probably waiting for us and he’s likely told Linda so she’ll be in an absolute fit about it.” Frank smiled at the cute little noise Gerard made and he tried really hard not to laugh. Linda was going to absolutely love Gerard. 

 

Mikey laughed, shaking his head as he locked the car. "Gee, I love you...but you really need to broaden your culinary horizons bro." He turned and headed inside, still chuckling to himself. 

 

Gerard looked up at Frank with questioning eyes. "He...he  _ loves _ me?"

 

“Yeah...Gerard, it was his idea to go get you the hell out of there right now. I didn’t know how the hell I was going to do that so I told you to come in to work tomorrow and was just going to do take you home with me from there.” Frank looked down at Gerard and kissed his forehead. 

 

"Wait I'm... _ not _ working tomorrow?"

 

“No, I just didn’t know what else I could say in front of him to get you away from the house. You work again not tomorrow but the day after.” Frank furrowed his brow. “I think that’s what the schedule said.” 

 

Gerard chewed on his lip for a moment. "What am I gonna do tomorrow?...do I have to go home?"

 

“You don’t ever have to go back there if you don’t want to.” Frank shook his head. “Tomorrow, I don’t think I work either so I’ll hang out with you if you want.” 

 

Gerard smiled wide, snuggling into Frank's side as they stepped into the diner. "Yeah, I'd like that a lot."

 

Frank smiled as he spotted Tony, he didn’t have a chance to say anything though as Linda came out of the kitchen. “Oh, Frank, what on earth is going on? Your father wouldn’t tell me anything and I’ve been worrying. Oh who is this adorable thing?” She froze when she saw Gerard.

 

“This is Gerard, Ma, he’s a little sleepy so I’m gonna get him a coffee.” Frank led Gerard over to a booth, sliding him into the bench. 

 

“Oh! Tony did tell me about him.” Linda smiled brightly. “I’m so glad you’ve found someone and he’s so cute. Do you want anything to eat, sweetheart?” she asked him, leaning to look around Frank at him. 

 

"Bacon?..." Gerard asked, his cheeks pinking. "Please, Frank's mom?"

 

“Oh of course, and you can call me Lin if you want to. Such a sweetie,” Linda smiled and nodded before looking at her son. “Frank, if you fuck it up with him I’ll smack you with your own frying pan. You be a gentleman to this boy, I know I raised you right.” She gave him a look and he knew she was joking about the frying pan bit. He laughed. 

 

“I’ll try my hardest not to Ma.” Frank smiled as Tony brought a cup of coffee over to set it in front of Gerard. “Hey, Pops, do you know where that cot we had went?” 

 

“No, but I’ll have a look when we close up here.” Tony smiled and went back to working. 

 

Gerard picked up his coffee and took a sip. He yelped straight after… "Ow."...putting the cup back down and frowning at it with his tongue stuck out...the tip was red.

 

Frank chuckled and looked at him. “Well it is hot, be careful, you know the coffee maker here. It only functions at stupid hot levels.”  

 

Gerard huffed, shooting the machine a sour look. "Ith out to geth me."

 

“No, it’s just bitchy, it’s like that with everyone.” Frank chuckled as Linda came back with a plate of bacon to set on the table for Gerard. 

 

“There you go.” Linda smiled happily at the boy and patted Frank on the shoulder before going back to the kitchen to work. Gerard gave his coffee a miss for now, picked up a piece of bacon between his fingers, and started munching on it happily. 

 

Frank slid into the booth across from him and smiled. “Oh! Shit...uh how do you feel about dogs?”

 

"Dogs?..." Gerard said, the second piece of bacon half way done already. "You have dogs?"

 

“Just one, and she’s only little. Sweet Pea is really friendly and she likes to cuddle. I never even thought that you might not like dogs. I’m sorry.” Frank frowned, he loved dogs and he loved Sweet Pea. He wasn’t sure how he’d feel if Gerard didn’t like her. 

 

Gerard smiled softly. "I like little dogs, as long as they don't pee on me."

 

Frank shook his head. “Sweet Pea would never, she’s a good girl.” 

 

"That's ok then." Gerard said with a shy smile before stuffing the rest of that piece of bacon into his mouth in one go and groaning happily.

 

Frank smiled at Gerard, glad to see he already looked like he was doing better. “I think you’ll like her, just don’t leave pencils on any surface lower than your hip.” 

 

Gerard tilted his head with a perplexed look on his face. "Why?...what will she do to my pencils?"

 

“I’ve lost a dozen pencils to her making chew toys out of them.” Frank wrinkled his nose. “It’s fine as long as she can’t reach them easily.” 

 

Gerard frowned. "She can't have my pencils." He said with finality before picking up his now partly cooled coffee and downing half in one go. Frank chuckled and shook his head, he didn’t know what Sweet Pea’s deal with pencils was but she stole them off the coffee table or any low surface he accidentally left them on. She’d even taken one from his hand once. Gerard put his cup down and picked up another piece of bacon, smiling at it before biting it in half. 

 

“You feeling a bit better now?” Frank looked up at the boy, smiling gently.

 

Gerard nodded slightly, swallowing his mouthful. "A bit...my head still hurts and...and I'm scared that dad might show up but...but other than that, yeah, a bit better." 

 

“If your dad tries to come anywhere near you he’ll learn not to fuck with actual families. Tony won’t let him touch you and neither will I. If all else fails there is always Ma and my frying pan.” Frank chuckled, trying to make Gerard feel better and make him laugh. 

 

Gerard giggled slightly, shaking his head. "That's good to know, but if he comes, you'd probably be better off just letting him take me...he's going to get me again sometime anyway." He said matter of factly, before picking up his coffee and finishing it, eyes dropping to the tabletop.

 

“No, you are part of our family now and we take care of our own. I’m not about to give up on my boyfriend before I’ve had a chance to take him on a proper date.” Frank said firmly. “He will never hurt you again if I have any say in the matter.”

 

Gerard looked up, a smile practically splitting his face in two. "You wanna take me on a...date?"

 

“Well yeah, I was under the impression that’s what people did when they were dating. Besides you’re too cute not to take out on dates.” Frank smiled back at him. “If you want to, that is.” 

 

Gerard nodded enthusiastically, grin spreading even wider. "Oh yes, yes please. No one ever wanted to take me on a date before, I'd like that."

 

Frank leaned over the table and kissed Gerard on the cheek before sitting back down in his seat. “Well, I’ll have to make it a good one then.” 

 

Gerard felt his cheeks catch on fire and he looked down, giggling slightly as he hid in his hair for a moment. "So where are you going to take me?" He asked quietly, looking up through his lashes.

 

“I think I might make it a surprise.” Frank smiled back at him. 

 

"Well as long as it's not bowling, I'll be ok." Gerard said with a grimace.

 

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem, I hate bowling.” Frank chuckled and he honestly did hate bowling, it frustrated him beyond believe and he really sucked at it.

 

"Good..." Gerard smiled with relief. "Last time we went as a...a family..." He shivered slightly. "Dad dropped one of the balls on my foot...broke two of my toes. He  _ said _ it was an accident..." He trailed off.

 

Frank made a face at that, somehow he doubted it’d actually been an accident. “No bowling, don’t worry. I’ll come up with something fun.” 

 

"Ok...*yawn* sounds good."

 

“Come on you, let’s get you out of here before you are too sleepy to hold on while we are on my bike.” Frank shook his head and snickered at Gerard’s sleepy look. 

 

"But..." Gerard looked down at his plate sadly. "I haven't finished my bacon."

 

“That’s fine, we can take it home with us if you want. I just wanna make sure I can get you there safely.” Frank smiled at him warmly.  

 

Gerard smiled back. "Ok Frankie."

 

Frank slid out of the booth and went over to the serving window to bug Linda. “Eh, Ma!” 

 

“What?” She called back, moving around working quickly and yet somehow she seemed totally calm.

 

“Can I get one of those little takeout containers?” Frank asked and almost before he finished his sentence it was sitting right in front of his face. “Thanks.” 

 

“There is some salad in the fridge if you two get hungry.” She said and shooed him away so she could work in peace. Frank wandered back out to Gerard and set the little styrofoam container in front of him. 

 

Gerard looked at the box, then up at Frank with a sleepy smile. "My bacon?" 

 

Frank snickered and nodded. “Yes, silly, it’s for you to put your bacon in so we can take it home.” 

 

"Oh, ok Frankie." Gerard smiled shyly then carefully took the lid off the little box and put the rest of his bacon inside, except for the piece he stuffed into his mouth, then put the lid back on and looked up at Frank expectantly. Frank chuckled and shook his head as he slid out of the bench. He picked up the little container and held his hand out to Gerard. Gerard smiled and took Frank's hand, letting himself be pulled up to his feet.

 

"Hey Gee?..." Mikey said, walking over with a dishcloth over his shoulder. Gerard pressed himself slightly into Frank's side, but hummed to indicate that he was listening. Mikey stepped close and wrapped his skinny arms around his brother. "I love you bro, don't ever think I don't..." He whispered in Gerard's ear, then pressed a kiss to Gerard's cheek and stepped back with a smile. "I'll see you later." He turned and smiled at Frank, then headed back to the counter to serve the only customer that was there right now. Gerard stood wide eyed for a second or two, then looked at Frank.

 

"Did...did that just happen?" He asked quietly.

 

“Yeah, it did. I talked to him for a bit. He didn’t realize you were actually afraid of him. He thought you understood him being a dick was supposed to be a joke.” Frank sighed. “He didn’t realize how it would look like that wasn’t the case. He got kind of upset when he realized that you were afraid of him and thought he didn’t like you.” 

 

Gerard sucked his bottom lip into his mouth as he thought about that. "It upset him that I was upset?...I don't want him to be upset."

 

“Hey, it’s ok.” Frank pulled Gerard into a hug. “You guys can fix things between you easier now, you don’t have your dad to worry about anymore. He loves you and it bothered him that you thought he didn’t.” 

 

Gerard buried his face into Frank's neck and nodded slightly, clinging onto him. After a minute, he lifted his head to look at Frank. "Can we go now?...I'm tired."

 

“Of course, come on.” Frank led Gerard outside to his bike. He went back over to Mikey’s car and got Gerard’s bag out of it before locking it, which Mikey had apparently forgotten to do. He put the container of bacon into the bag, careful not to squish it too much. “You gonna sit on the back again and hold on? We aren’t going too far so I won’t go real fast.” 

 

Gerard yawned and nodded. "Yeah, ok Frankie."

 

“You get to wear the backpack then, cause I have nowhere else to put it.” Frank held it out for Gerard to slip his arms into the straps. 

 

Gerard turned around and let Frank put the pack onto his back, then turned to face Frank with a smile. "Frankie, will you kiss me again?...please?" 

 

Frank looked at Gerard and smiled. He reached up and cupped Gerard’s face in his hand, closing the space between them and kissing Gerard softly. Gerard smiled into the kiss and wound his arms around Frank's waist, moaning softly as his eyes fluttered closed. Frank pushed into the kiss a little more, moving his other hand to Gerard’s waist. Gerard's breath hitched slightly as he melted against Frank, his fingers twisting in the hair at the back of Frank's neck. Frank moaned and reluctantly broke the kiss. 

 

“You...are distracting, come on, let’s go home.” He grinned and kissed Gerard on the cheek. He swung his leg over the bike and looked back at Gerard. 

 

Gerard giggled slightly and climbed onto the bike behind Frank, winding his arms loosely around Frank's waist. "Will you kiss me more when we get there?...I really like you kissing me." 

 

“Good, cause I happen to enjoy kissing you.” Frank smiled and started up the bike. He looked back to make sure Gerard was holding on before pushing forward and making his way out of the lot, onto the street. The drive home was a short one, five minutes with shit traffic. Frank pulled his bike up beside the house like he was supposed to and stopped before the little side entrance to his ‘basement apartment’. There was a door in from inside the house to. It was just the basement, it used to be a rec room when Frank was younger but now it gave the mild illusion of him having his own place. He shut off the bike and put out the kick before looking back at Gerard. 

 

Gerard smiled wide, ignoring the fact that his hair probably looked like he'd been pulled through a hedge backwards. "I really like your bike." He said with a giggle.

 

Frank chuckled and shook his head. “Yeah?” He grinned widely at him. “Good, cause it’s my only mode of transportation.” 

 

Gerard tilted his head slightly. "But what if you bought something big?...like a new microwave or...or a camel?...how would you get it home?"

 

“I don’t usually, but even if I did, while I don’t have anything else my parents do have a car and are usually willing to help me out.” Frank laughed and shook his head. 

 

Gerard nodded in understanding. "Oh, ok. Can we go in now?...I'm cold."

 

“Yeah...we can do that...kind of waiting for you to let go and get off the bike so I can though.” Frank snickered. “It’s easier to get off when I’m not worried about accidentally kicking you.” 

 

Gerard's eyes went wide and he quickly let go and scrambled off of the back of the bike, his cheeks flaming red. "I'm sorry." He murmured quietly, eyes casting to the ground.

 

Frank climbed off the bike and turned towards Gerard. “It’s ok. Come on, it should be warm inside.” Frank held his hand out to Gerard.

 

Biting slightly on his bottom lip, Gerard took Frank's hand and nodded. "Ok Frankie. Hey, do you have coffee?"

 

“Of course I have coffee.” Frank smiled and led Gerard down to the door into the basement. He unlocked it and pulled Gerard inside.

 

Gerard giggled and yawned, blinking as Frank flicked on the light. "I'm tired, but I want coffee...but I'm tired..." He whined slightly. "Frankie, tell me what to do?"

 

“Well...if you take a nap now are you going to sleep tonight?” Frank asked and looked at Gerard. 

 

Gerard looked down, hiding in his hair and shaking his head. "No." He whispered shyly.

 

“Coffee it is then.” Frank kissed Gerard’s cheek and moved towards the little ‘kitchen’ he had. He set up the coffee maker and turned it on. 

 

Gerard gazed around the room for a minute then walked over to stand next to Frank. He took his bag off of his back and unzipped it, pulling out his box of bacon. He set it on the counter then turned to face Frank. "Where am I going to sleep Frankie?"

 

Frank turned and looked at his mattress and box spring on the floor in the corner of the room. He never made his bed but the fluffy pillow and big fluffy comforter made it look like a comfy place to sleep anyway so it didn’t matter how neat it was. “You can sleep on the bed.” 

 

Gerard looked over at the bed, then back at Frank. "With you?"

 

“Uh...well I was going to sleep on the couch, I’m short enough to fit on it fine.” Frank looked back at Gerard. 

 

"Oh..." Gerard hung his head a little and turned away. "Ok then." 

 

“That ok?” Frank asked and reached towards Gerard to get him to turn him back towards him.

 

Gerard kept his head low. He shrugged slightly. "Yes...I mean I  _ guess _ so..." He frowned. "I just...I thought we'd share your bed, you know, now that we're dating. But if you don't want to..." He trailed off with a sigh.

 

“What? No, Gerard...I was going to sleep on the couch cause I wasn’t sure how comfortable you would be sharing a bed. If you want to then I am all for it just be warned now, I’m a cuddler.” Frank shook his head. “I just didn’t want to make you uncomfortable, ok?” 

 

Gerard looked up with a smile creeping back onto his face. "Really?...are you sure? I  _ like _ being cuddled."

 

Frank smiled and stepped towards Gerard. “Good, because you are not going to have any of your own space if we share a bed.” Frank chuckled. 

 

Gerard felt his cheeks pink up again and he giggled softly before he suddenly started sniffing the air...his nose twitching like a bunny rabbit's. "Coffeeeee." He squealed gleefully.

 

“You are adorable.” Frank shook his head. He grabbed a coffee mug from the cupboard. “What do you want in your coffee?” 

 

"Just a little cream, if that's ok?"

 

“Of course.“ Frank reached over and pulled a small carton of cream from the fridge. He added some to the cup and picked up the coffee pot to fill the cup the rest of the way. 

 

Gerard was practically bouncing with anticipation, if he wasn't so tired, he probably would have. "Coffeecoffeecoffeecoffeecoffee." He chanted quickly, making grabby hands for the cup. 

 

Frank laughed. "Easy or you'll spill it." Frank carefully held the mug out for Gerard to take.

 

Gerard smiled happily as he took the cup. He cradled it between his palms to warm his hands and took a sniff...it was too hot to drink yet. "Ahhh...I love coffee." 

 

“Yeah, I can tell.” Frank smiled at him and shook his head. He looked so incredibly happy just to have a cup of coffee. 

 

Gerard took another sniff then started to slowly walk around the room, looking at the various posters and things Frank had on his walls. He stopped at a photograph that seemed to have pride of place next to the bed. He leaned in for a closer look, then looked back at Frank. "Frankie is this...you and Tom Delonge?"

 

“Uh...yeah it is.” Frank looked up, smiled and then glanced over at his bed where Sweet Pea had apparently woken from her nap under the blanket and looked like a ridiculous ghost. He choked and laughed. Muttering under his breath. “Goddamn fucking dog.” Gerard raised an eyebrow and turned to look at what Frank was talking about. He saw the blankets moving and gasped slightly...he'd kind of forgotten about the dog. Frank saw the look on Gerard’s face and walked over to the bed, he moved the blanket and picked up the tiny dog. “Gerard, meet Sweet Pea.” 

 

"Oh my God!...she's so cute!" Gerard exclaimed, setting his still too hot coffee cup down and crossing to stand in front of Frank.

 

“Yeah, she is. You can pet her, she won’t bite but she might lick you to death.” Frank chuckled and held her up for him. Gerard giggled and lifted his hand tentatively toward the little grey dog to let her sniff him, and decide if she liked him or not. He hoped she did. Sweet Pea sniffed at Gerard’s hand before promptly licking it repeatedly and happily wagging her tail. Frank chuckled and shook his head. “I think she likes you.” 

 

Gerard giggled happily. "It tickles, silly girl..." He said lightly, moving his hand out of her reach then behind her head to scratch behind her ears. He looked up at Frank with a wide smile, showing off all his tiny teeth. "I like her too."

 

Frank smiled back at him. “Good.” Frank set her down on the floor. “Well, you’ve got coffee, you’ve got bacon here somewhere. What do you wanna do? I didn’t really have any plans for tonight.” 

 

"Oh, err, could we like, I don't know, watch a movie and..." Gerard looked down, a blush colouring his cheeks pink. "...cuddle?" He finished shyly.

 

Frank nodded. “Yeah, that sounds good. You wanna go look through my pile of movies?” 

 

Gerard looked over to a couple of tall stacks of DVDs, he raised his eyebrows...that's not how you store DVDs. "Yeah...um, ok then..." He picked up his coffee and wandered over, sitting down cross legged on the floor and starting to go through the many, many unorganised boxes. "Frankie?...can I organise these please?"

 

Frank looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. “I...if you want to you can, I don’t care.” Frank shrugged. “I never really figured I needed to organize it.” 

 

Gerard looked down. "Ok, n-never mind." He took a sip of his coffee and went back to looking at the cases...maybe he'd organise them another time.

 

Frank moved over to where Gerard was sitting and sat down beside him. “Like I said, you can organize them if you want to. I’m just lazy and never did.” 

 

Gerard shrugged slightly and sipped his coffee. He pulled out a DVD case and held it up. "Can we watch this please?" He said quietly.

 

Frank chuckled. “Yeah, sure. I haven’t watched the Little Mermaid in forever.” He gently took the movie from Gerard and got up to turn on the TV and the DVD player.

 

Gerard sat for a moment, then pushed back up onto his feet and walked over to the little kitchen. He picked up his tub of bacon, then crossed to Frank's bed. He put his coffee and bacon on the nightstand, then climbed onto the bed, sitting against the headboard, before picking up his bacon, just as Frank walked over to join him. "Is it ok to eat on your bed Frankie?" He asked nervously.

 

“Yeah, that’s where I eat most of the time.” Frank crawled onto the bed beside him. He leaned over and reached between the bed and the nightstand to pull up a bag of Doritos. “This is where I usually sit to watch movies, and movies usually involves snack.” Frank smiled and set the bag on his lap. 

 

Gerard giggled slightly, relaxing a bit. He popped open his tub of bacon and picked up a piece with his fingertips. His eyes flicked to Frank briefly, just to be certain this was ok, then took a bite of his now cold but still delicious bacon. "Mmm, I think I'm going to like being here...for as long as you can put up with me, that is."

 

“Just you wait till my parents get home. Family dinner is non-optional, we just eat it later than most people do because of diner hours.” Frank smiled and put his arm around Gerard’s shoulders. 

 

Gerard smiled slightly, but started to get an uneasy feeling...if he had to eat with the family, they were bound to notice. He continued to nibble on his bacon, but his appetite just wasn't there now. He yawned, putting the piece in his hand back in the box and replacing the lid. 

 

Frank frowned and squeezed Gerard’s shoulders, hugging him into Frank’s side. “You ok?”

 

Gerard nodded, keeping his head low but his eyes on the tv screen. "Yeah, just...just a little tireder than I thought." He mumbled quietly, hoping Frank would leave it at that.

 

“I don’t think that’s a word, but that’s probably a good indication that maybe you should try and nap for a bit and I’ll wake you up.” Frank pressed a gentle kiss to the side of Gerard’s head.

 

Gerard yawned again, looking up at Frank through his hair afterwards. "I was an art major Frankie, not English...tireder sounds right to me..." He yawned again then leaned his head on Frank's shoulder. "But I really wanted to watch The Little Mermaid."

 

“We can always watch it again later.” Frank smiled at him. “You’re tired, you should sleep even if it’s only for a little while.” 

 

Gerard whined quietly, then, with another yawn, accepted Frank's words. "Ok Frankie but..." He bit his lip nervously and looked up at Frank with big, pleading eyes. "...you  _ will _ stay with me, won't you?"

 

“Of course, I’m not going anywhere right now.” Frank said as Sweet Pea jumped up onto the bed to sniff at Gerard and lay across their legs. “I guess Sweet Pea is on your side with this one, I’m not allowed to move. That’s fine.” Frank chuckled. 

 

Gerard smiled softly and yawned again, putting his bacon to the side and snuggling against Frank. He stayed quiet for a minute or so, just letting the sound of the movie, and the warmth and smell of Frank lull him toward sleep, before something crossed his mind. "Frank?" He said timidly, looking up through his lashes.

 

“Yes, Gerard?” Frank looked down at him.

 

Gerard whimpered slightly, pushing himself impossibly closer to Frank's body. "What if...what if dad comes here before your parents get home?"

 

“Then I have a baseball bat sitting in the corner and a phone with the ability to call the police.” Frank ran his hand over Gerard’s back soothingly. “He’s not welcome in this house.” 

 

"He...he won't care if he's welcome or not...and if he's drunk..." Gerard trailed off with a shaky sniff. 

 

“Like I said, baseball bat and police.” Frank kissed his forehead. “He’s not getting anywhere near you and he doesn’t know where I live. Neither does Mikey, so even if he tried to get it from Mikey he’d have no luck.” 

 

"Oh God...what if he tries to hurt Mikey?...Mikey doesn't have a baseball bat."

 

Frank shushed Gerard. “I don’t think he will and either way Mikey isn’t going home tonight. He’s gonna come here with Tony and Linda.” 

 

"But dad knows where the diner is...and he's...he's got a gun Frankie." Gerard said, his eyes suddenly wider and far less sleepy.

 

“He’s not going to hurt anyone. I know you probably aren’t used to feeling safe but you are safe here, so is Mikey if he needs shelter.” Frank pulled Gerard over onto his chest and hugged him tight. “My dad and I both own guns, we aren’t in the nicest neighbourhood so Ma said we should have them, but they are a very last resort. I’ll use the bat to knock his head in before I’ll pick up a gun. Ok?” 

 

Gerard nodded nervously, pressing into Frank and burying his face. "O-ok Frankie..." He mumbled, trying to calm down and relax. "Frankie?...would you sing to me?...I need to not think right now. Please?"

 

“Uh……” Frank looked at Gerard. “I’m not really...any good at singing.” 

 

"I don't care just...just sing something...anything. Please Frankie?" Gerard said, looking up with puppy eyes and a trembling lip.

 

Frank sighed and tried to think of a song. He chuckled as he remembered an old lullaby his aunt used to sing. “ _ Vedo la luna, la luna vede me, brillante anche se le foglie del vecchio albero di quercia _ .” Frank smiled and kissed Gerard’s cheek. He knew Gerard probably would understand but that was fine. “ _ Oh lascia che la luce che splende su di me splendere su quello che amo _ …”

 

**”I see the moon, the moon sees me, shining though the leaves of the old oak tree.”**

**“Oh let the light that shines on me shine on the one I love.”**

 

Gerard smiled softly, rubbing his face against Frank's chest like a cat and yawning quietly. "Tha's sweet..." He mumbled, his eyes fluttering closed. "LvyouFrnkieee." He slurred, finally drifting off to sleep.

 

Frank smiled and gently brushed some stray strands of Gerard’s hair away from his face. “Love you too.” He continued to hum the tune of the song. He didn’t always remember the words but it was the only lullaby he ever really remembered.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frankie?"
> 
> Frank put his arm around him and sighed contentedly. “Yeah?” 
> 
> Gerard looked up with lightly pink cheeks and a shy smile. "Thank you."
> 
> Frank furrowed his brows together and looked at Gerard. “For what?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***thePetetoherPatrick***  
> you see those tags I keep adding up there ^^^ yeah this chapter is one of the reasons for that.   
> Hope you guys enjoy this though, ***GeesCLUELESSgirl*** and I are working away on this and I'm pretty happy with how it's coming out considering our only thought when we started was Cook!Frank and Clueless!Gerard. That was it. That was our thought process...I've learned that giving ***GeesCLUELESSgirl*** sweet innocent characters is a bad idea though. So there is that. Enjoy ^-^  
> xoxo

_ "Papa no, please?" _

 

_ The angry man's eyes flashed with hatred as he pulled his belt free from his jeans. "Dirty little fag, bringing your disgusting fag boyfriend in my house..." _

 

_ Don Way muttered as he gripped the thick leather belt between his hands with white knuckled fingers as Gerard cowered, naked on the floor in the corner of his room...his "boyfriend" had run away the first moment he got, leaving the terrified boy to face the music alone. _

 

_ "Get up and bend over the fucking bed, fag...you're probably familiar with the position." _

 

_ "Papa please." Gerard whimpered pitifully, tears streaming down his cheeks. _

 

_ "NOW!!" Don hollered. Gerard jumped, then scrambled to obey, knowing it would be worse if he didn't. He got in the position he'd been told, and squeezed his eyes shut tight. "Now count off boy." Don raised the heavy belt high, then brought it down hard onto Gerard's bare ass. _ __   
  


~~~~~

 

Gerard woke up with a scream, thrashing to get away from whoever was holding him right now, terror coursing hard through his veins. Frank jumped awake as Gerard flailed and hit him. He hadn’t even realized that he’d fallen asleep but between Gerard being warm cuddled against his side and the dog curled up on his legs. He groaned, then realized that something had scared Gerard. 

 

“Whoa! Hey, what’s wrong? Gerard, calm down.” Frank shushed him and sat up to hug him, rubbing his back and kissing the side of his head. 

 

As he started to realise that it was just a dream, Gerard clung, shaking to Frank's shirt, his face pressing into the side of Frank's neck as he sobbed desperately. "He, he he was was g-gonna k-k-k-k..." He broke down into heavier sobs and horrible whimpers as he curled up as small as he could in Frank's arms. 

 

“You’re ok, I promise you that you’re gonna be ok. You’re safe, baby.” Frank wrapped himself around Gerard and hugged him close to his chest. “It was just a dream, you’re ok.”

 

"N-no he he...th-the b-belt...he...on God."Gerard's breath was fast and ragged as his heart seemed ready to crash straight out through his chest.

 

“Hey, shhhhh.” Frank kissed the side of his head as he realized what the dream must have been. “He can’t hurt you anymore. You’re safe here.” 

 

"No h-he's gonna k-kill m-me F-F-Frank-ie." Gerard sobbed out, his breathing and shaking completely out of his control now.

 

Frank frowned. “No, he’s not. Gerard, fucking look at me.” Frank lifted Gerard’s face with a finger under his chin. “I  _ will not let him _ hurt you. He won’t get anywhere near you to hurt you.” 

 

Gerard shook, his breath coming out in shaky gasps...but he listened. He stared wide eyed up at Frank, small whimpers leaving his lips. "Y-you'll p-protect m-me?" He asked after a moment, voice shaky and small.

 

“Yes.” Frank said firmly. “Of course I will protect you. I’m not going to let  _ anyone _ hurt you.” 

 

Gerard swallowed heavily, then nodded slightly, the tight grip he had on Frank's shirt loosening a little. "K-kiss me?" He whispered, wet cheeks pinking a bit. Frank nodded and kissed him gently. He held his face in his hand and deepened the kiss. Gerard whined, shifting himself into Frank's lap, his knees either side of the other boy's. He parted his lips, inviting Frank in. Frank took the invitation and pulled Gerard closer. 

 

Gerard's breath hitched as he felt his cock twitch in his pants...he pressed down against Frank a little. Frank moaned into the kiss and moved his hands down to Gerard’s hips. Gerard moved his hands into Frank's hair, his short nails scraping the other boy's scalp lightly as Gerard ground down again, unconsciously. Frank pushed up against Gerard, gripping his hips and moving his mouth to Gerard’s neck. He kissed and bit at the exposed flesh. 

 

"Oh God..." Gerard gasped breathily, tipping his head back. "Please Frankie...please."

 

“What do you need, baby?” Frank mumbled against Gerard’s skin. 

 

Gerard whimpered, grinding down more. "You Frankie...please?...I need you." Frank lifted Gerard up off his lap to lay him down on the bed. He shooed Sweet Pea away until she ran off through her little door upstairs into the rest of the house. He leaned over Gerard and kissed him again. Gerard practically purred into the kiss, his hands wandering over Frank's arms and chest. Frank pushed up the bottom of Gerard’s shirt, running his fingers over the smooth skin of his sides. He kissed at his jaw and throat, loving every little noise Gerard made. Gerard shivered under Frank's gentle touch, his hips lifting slightly of their own accord. "F-Frankie." 

 

Frank pulled away from the kiss to pull Gerard’s shirt up over his head. Gerard let him then suddenly realised that Frank would see...he quickly wrapped his arms around his belly, hoping to hide the thin scars on his hips. Frank raised an eyebrow and looked down at Gerard. He got really worried for a minute that he’d crossed some kind of line. “What’s wrong? You ok? Do you want me to stop?” 

 

Gerard sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, looking down. After a few seconds, he released his lip. "I just...don't be mad?...please?" He looked up through his lashes, tears threatening to fall. 

 

“I’m not going to be mad, I just want to know what’s wrong. Did I do something wrong?” Frank sat up to give Gerard some space. 

 

"No no..." Gerard said, shaking his head quickly. "You didn't do anything wrong, I just...I'm worried about what y-you'll think when you...when you see." 

 

“When I see what?” Frank looked at Gerard in concern. 

 

Gerard closed his eyes before saying the words quietly.

 

"My scars..." He slowly moved his hands away from around his thin body, revealing multiple thin scars littering both of his hips and around onto his stomach. Some were from his father's belt and were older, while the others had been made with a blade and his own hand...some of  _ those _ were as recent as a week ago. "Don't be mad." 

 

Frank frowned slightly and ran his fingers over the lines, they rested against skin he apparently missed when he ran his hand up Gerard’s side before. “I’m not mad.” Frank leaned down and kissed Gerard on the cheek. Truthfully, if he was mad at all it was because Gerard had been in that much pain, that he’d been put through that much. 

 

Gerard sniffed, letting his eyes flutter open nervously. "Y-you're not?"

 

“No, why would I be?” Frank tilted his head to the side a bit. 

 

Gerard swallowed. "My...my ex used t-to get m-mad when he s-saw them...then he'd...he'd..." He sobbed, looking away. "But it just made me d-do it again."

 

Frank sighed heavily and pulled Gerard up into a sitting position to hug him against his chest. “Why is it that you’ve been surrounded by shitty people that keep hurting you?” Frank grumbled and kissed his forehead. “You deserve better than the bullshit you’ve been put through.” Frank looked down at Gerard.  

 

Gerard sniffed, then looked up. "You're really not mad at me?...like really?"

 

“No, I’m not mad at you. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Frank sighed. “If I’m mad at anyone it’s the people that’ve hurt you and treated you so shittily, but I’m not much of an angry person.” 

 

Gerard smiled shakily. "Could we...I mean if you s-still want to...um, could we m-make out again?" His cheeks flushed pink. 

 

Frank brought both of his hands up to Gerard’s face and held his face in his hands. He brushed away the tears with his thumbs and kissed Gerard’s forehead. He heard the muffled sounds of three car doors and laughter. “They’re home. Do you want to go up and see Mikey?” 

 

Gerard huffed quietly. "I'd rather make out with  _ you _ ."

 

“I don’t disagree with you there.” Frank chuckled and kissed Gerard. “But if we don’t go up there, Ma will come down here to check on us and yell at me to come make dinner.” 

 

Gerard sighed. "O-ok then...one more kiss first?" 

 

Frank smiled and kissed Gerard, pulling him closer to him and damn near forgetting to go upstairs. That is until his mother’s voice called down to him. “Frank?” he made the mistake of ignoring her. “I know you are here, your bike is parked outside.” she said and waited. “Frank Anth-”

 

Frank pulled away from Gerard. “Shut your trap or I’ll make you order takeout for dinner!” Frank called back before she could get his whole name out. 

 

“Don’t sass your mother, Junior.” his father chuckled and he heard him squawk as Linda most likely playfully swatted him. 

 

“We need to go now.” Frank sighed and looked at Gerard. Gerard was sat wide eyed, his mouth hung open in shock. Frank froze and looked at Gerard. "Gerard? You ok?" 

 

Gerard snapped his mouth closed and swallowed, his eyes still wide. "You...you c-can talk t-to your p-parents like...like  _ that _ !?"

 

"Yeah...I'm an adult and we talk like that back and forth. They treat me like an equal for the most part." Frank raised an eyebrow but realized why it must've shocked Gerard.

 

Gerard looked down, swallowing heavily. "Must be nice." He mumbled quietly.

 

Frank frowned and pulled Gerard closer, hugging him tight and resting his face against the side of Gerard's head. "I guess I've just been lucky that way. I got good parents and a good family." Frank sighed "They're your family now too."

 

Gerard sniffed, clinging to Frank's shirt. "Really?...I like the sound of that."

 

Frank smiled widely. "Come on, let's go have dinner with them. What would you like for dinner?"

 

"Um...bacon?"

 

Frank shook his head and chuckled. “Do you eat anything other than bacon?” 

 

Gerard frowned slightly as he thought. "Well, I like bagels, and...chicken?"

 

Frank shook his head again. “Oh you are just...I can make something with chicken.” Frank chuckled and crawled out from under Gerard to stand beside the bed, holding out his hand to him. 

 

Gerard took his hand with a small smile and let himself be pulled up. "Frank?"

 

“Yeah?” Frank looked at him curiously.

 

Gerard chewed on his lip for a moment, looking down. "No mushrooms." He said in no more than a whisper.

 

Frank smiled and pulled Gerard towards the door upstairs. “Alright.” They get upstairs and Linda looked up from what she was reading, some mail or something she got. 

 

“Well there you are.” Linda chuckled. “Did you have a nap or something sweetheart? You look kind of sleepy.” she looked at Gerard, smiling at him warmly.

 

Gerard nodded with a shy smile. "Yeah I...I get t-tired a lot."

 

“That’s ok, honey.” Linda smiled and then turned her gaze to her son. “What are you thinking for dinner?”

 

“Chicken parm and penne I think. Something simple.” Frank smiled and looked at Gerard. 

 

Gerard smiled back softly. "That sounds good Frankie."

 

Frank nodded and looked at Mikey, who was kind of keeping to himself off by the doorway of the kitchen. “You doing alright over there?”

 

Mikey shrugged slightly, but moved into the room a bit more. "I wasn't sure I'd be welcome..." He looked nervously at his brother. "You ok Gee?" Gerard nodded, leaning against Frank a little. 

 

Frank glanced at Gerard and then back at Mikey. Tony came into the room and sat himself at the table with Linda. “Of course you are welcome here. Gerard is family to us now and he considers you his family, then you are also part of our family.” Tony looked over to Gerard. 

 

"M-Mikey will _ always _ be my b-brother...my family." Gerard said quietly, sending a small smile across to where Mikey instantly smiled back.

 

“Then he will always be safe and welcome in our home.” Tony smiled and got up to walk over to Gerard, holding his arms open to offer a hug to both of the Way boys. Mikey smiled and stepped forward, while Gerard went wide eyed and white as a sheet, then turned and ran straight back to Frank's bedroom. 

 

Frank furrowed his brows together and frowned. He went downstairs after Gerard to see what was wrong. "Gerard?" Gerard was sat on Frank's bed, knees pulled up to his chest and arms wrapped around his legs. He had his face buried in his arms and was shaking and mumbling quietly to himself, knuckles white as he gripped onto his own sleeves. He flinched when he heard his name. Frank moved over to the bed and sat on his knees in front of Gerard. "Hey, what's wrong?"

 

"I'm sorry, I'm s-s-so s-sorry I c-can't I..." Gerard shook his head and tried really hard to calm his breathing, but it just wasn't working. 

 

"Hey, no, it's ok." Frank reached out to him. "He was just trying to hug you. Slow down and breathe. It's ok."

 

Gerard lifted his head out of his arms to look up at Frank. "F-Frankie?...w-what's wrong with m-me?"

 

"Nothing is wrong with you baby, come here." Frank held his arms out.

 

Gerard whimpered, then threw himself forward into Frank's arms, burying his face into Frank's neck and clinging on tight. "W-when y-your dad came t-toward me all I *sniff*, all I s-saw was  _ m-my _ d-dad...I f-freaked..." He sobbed loudly. "Oh God, y-your p-parents are gonna think I'm in-insane."

 

“Tony would never hurt you. He was just trying to give you a hug the same as I do.” Frank moved his hand in comforting circles on Gerard’s back. “They know you aren’t insane. If anything, they just want to help you get used to a normal family. You being safe and comfortable is more important than anything.” Frank gave him gentle kisses on his face. “We want you to be happy. Tony is like...he’s kind of like a big teddy bear. The scariest thing he does is when he tries to dance, ok?”  

 

Gerard giggled slightly at that and looked up through wet lashes. "He's a dancing teddy bear?"

 

“We try to keep him from dancing because it’s just something you don’t want to be a witness to, but yeah I guess he is.” Frank chuckled. “Do you want to help me make dinner?” 

 

Gerard sighed, frowning slightly as he looked down. "What do I say to them?..." He said quietly before looking up. "How do I apologise for being so fucked up?"

 

“You didn’t do anything wrong, you don’t have to apologize. They’ll understand.” Frank sighed and hugged Gerard tight.

 

Gerard sighed, relaxing into Frank's chest. "How, when  _ I _ don't even understand?"

 

“When Tony was a teenager, he had a friend like you. That’s why he is the way he is about family and why he rants about shitty parents.” Frank sat there and cuddled Gerard. “He’s told me the story about a million times and I grew up with a good family, in a good home and have the same views of family that my pops does.”

 

"Gee?..." Mikey said from the doorway, making Gerard look up. "You ok?"

 

Gerard nodded slightly. "Yeah, just...just kinda embarrassed now."

 

Frank looked at Mikey and Gerard. He kissed Gerard’s forehead and moved to get up off the bed, letting go of Gerard. “How about I go start on dinner and give you two a minute?” 

 

Gerard's eyes widened slightly and his breath hitched, but after he caught Mikey's hopeful smile, he sighed and nodded. "O-ok Frankie."

 

Mikey beamed as he walked across the room toward the bed and perched on the edge. "Thanks Frank." Frank nodded with a smile and disappeared upstairs to start making dinner. 

 

Gerard sat hunched over, making himself as small as he could...a habit he'd picked up during years of both his father's abuse, and that of his ex. Mikey sighed and moved further up onto the bed to sit cross legged in front of his brother. "Gee, you know you're safe here, right?..."

 

Gerard nodded, his eyes trained on Frank's Batman quilt like it was the most interesting thing in the entire universe...he thought it could be one of the coolest, but not really that interesting. Mikey sighed again, carefully reaching out and taking Gerard's unburned hand in his. Gerard flinched slightly, but didn't pull his hand away. "And you know that  _ I _ won't hurt you...right?..."

 

Gerard nodded again. "Gee, look at me please..." Gerard looked up slowly through his long hair. "I love you Gee, and I'm worried about you...so's Frank, and Linda, and Don. We're all here for you...if you'll let us be." 

 

Gerard sighed, a tear sliding down his cheek. "I...I love you too Mikes..." He said quietly. "Do you...do you  _ really _ think we're safe from dad here?"

 

Mikey smiled and reached up with his free hand to carefully tuck Gerard's hair behind his ear. "Yeah Gee, I do."

 

Gerard smiled softly, leaning into his brother's light touch. "Mikey?"

 

"Yes Gee?"

 

"Can I have a hug?"

 

Mikey grinned wide, letting go of Gerard's hands and opening his arms. "Anytime you want Gee, you don't even have to ask."

 

Gerard's smile widened and he leaned forward, the two boys hugging like they hadn't in a very long time. After a couple of minutes, with Mikey gently rubbing Gerard's back and Gerard finally feeling like things  _ might _ work out ok, they pulled back, but linked their hands so not to lose the connection.

 

"Shall we go eat now Gee?...something's starting to smell really good up there." 

 

Gerard smiled. "Yeah, let's go." They climbed off the bed and made their way back upstairs and into the kitchen...still hand in hand.

 

"Hey guys." Mikey said as he walked in with Gerard close behind him. Frank looked up from the food and smiled, he was working on getting it into the oven to finish it up and looking at the pasta to make sure it wasn’t going to boil over. 

 

“You alright, sweetie?” Linda asked Gerard cautiously and Tony watched him carefully from the kitchen, helping Frank with dinner. 

 

Gerard nodded, smiling shyly and squeezing Mikey's hand a little too tight for a second or two before forcing himself to relax...for which Mikey and his hand were very grateful. "Yes, thank you I'm...I'm sorry about before."

 

“It’s alright, Gerard.” Tony smiled softly at him. “I am sorry I scared you. I didn’t mean to, I didn’t know how jumpy you were. It’s ok, don’t ever be afraid to tell us if you are scared or uncomfortable, ok?”

 

Gerard nodded slightly. "Ok, I'll...I'll t-try."

 

“Come sit at the table with me, hun. Would you boys like something to drink with supper?” Linda smiled at him. “It should be ready shortly.” 

 

Gerard smiled a little shakily, but nodded and stepped over to the table with Mikey. They sat down side by side. "Is...is it t-too late for c-coffee?" He asked hopefully. 

 

“Never.” Linda chuckled and went over to turn on the coffee pot. “What do you take in your coffee?” Frank was at the fridge looking for something and smiled, handing her the cream. “Alright, well I know this isn’t for you, Frankie dear, so I’ll assume it’s for your boyfriend’s coffee. Mikey love, what do you take in yours or would you like something else?” 

 

"Oh um...I'll have a coffee too please. Black, five sugars." Mikey said, a blush creeping over his cheeks. Linda chuckled quietly and shot a sarcastically knowing look at Frank. 

 

“Ma, you can judge us all you’d like, just do so quietly and without giving me that smartass, judgy look.” Frank shook his head with a laugh. Linda laughed and went about making coffees. “Dinner is about ready, Pops, you got the cheese ready over there?” Tony nodded. 

 

At the mention of cheese, Gerard's stomach growled _ really _ loudly...he blushed bright pink and tried to hide in his hair. 

 

Frank smiled and pulled the chicken out of the oven. “Tony, get the pasta, it should be done.” Tony nodded and moved over to the stove to strain the water from the pasta. Frank set out plates and started plating the chicken. Once Tony got the pasta dished out Frank poured a good amount of sauce and cheese over the chicken and some on the pasta. 

 

“Dinner is ready.” Tony smiled and carried some of the plates over to the table. Linda handed him some of the coffees as Frank walked over with the last few plates. “Looks good Frank.” He wrapped an arm around Frank on his way past. 

 

Frank set a plate in front of Gerard and his spot. He gave Gerard light kiss on the forehead before sitting down. “Let’s eat.” He smiled widely. 

 

Gerard smiled softly, but couldn't help but worry. He picked up his fork and started to eat tiny mouthfuls...as little as he could manage, while trying to not draw attention to the fact that he was barely eating. Mikey on the other hand was practically inhaling his meal.

 

"Oh my God Frank!..." He exclaimed between bites. "This is  _ soooooo _ good!...you should put it on the menu at the diner."

 

Tony chuckled and took a bite of his food. “It’s on the specials menu, we put it up on the list every couple of weeks.” 

 

“Glad you’re enjoying it, Mikey.” Frank grinned and glanced at Gerard, who was slowing picking at his food. He frowned but looked back down at his food, he felt a little hurt that Gerard didn’t seem to like it. 

 

Mikey grinned, nodding enthusiastically. "Oh yeah, it's great...right Gee?"

 

Gerard looked up with a smile. "Yeah,  _ really _ good. Frankie?...could you maybe t-teach me how to make it sometime?" He asked, turning hopeful eyes toward Frank.

 

Frank looked over at him with a smile. “Yeah, if you want to. I can teach you how to make all kinds of things.” 

 

Gerard smiled brightly and nodded. "I'd really like that." He took a bigger forkful of chicken and sauce, and munched on it happily...he could worry about the calories and how fat it would make him later, cause this was really far too good to waste. 

 

Frank smiled at the sight of Gerard seeming to actually enjoy his food. He chuckled and went back to eating his own. Tony nudged him and took a minute to finish the mouthful he was eating. “Did you want me to order in anything for the kitchen? Any specials you wanted to do?” 

 

“Um...no I don’t have any ideas for this week.” Frank shrugged, he hadn’t really thought about it much. 

 

Gerard looked up from his plate. "Bacon...make sure you've got enough bacon." 

 

Linda chuckled warmly. “We serve all day breakfast, we have lots of bacon all the time. No matter what. Don’t worry dear.” Gerard blushed, smiling shyly as he went back to his food.

 

"Can I get seconds?" Mikey asked, having just swallowed his last mouthful, while everyone else was about half way through their meals. 

 

“Of course you can sweetheart.” Linda picked up his plated and went into the chicken to get him a second plate. The boy was very skinny and as a mother she was very bothered by the fact that he seemed underfed. If his parents wouldn’t take care of him then she would. She put a good helping of pasta on the plate with some sauce and cheese before she wandered back over to set it in front of him. “Frank always makes lots of pasta.” 

 

“Yeah, it makes good leftovers and quick meals.” Frank chuckled and shook his head at her. “And I’m really bad at portioning pasta at home.” 

 

Mikey grinned. "No such thing as too much of  _ this _ !" He said, digging in quickly. 

 

Frank chuckled and shook his head. “Glad you think so.” Mikey nodded as he carried on eating. 

 

Gerard was about halfway through his food when he had to stop. He didn't want to be rude, but he just couldn't eat anymore...not without making himself sick. He put his fork down quietly and dropped his head a little to hide in his hair. 

  
Linda glanced over at the boy. “You full sweetie?” Linda asked Gerard. 

 

Gerard looked up shyly through his hair. "Yeah I...sorry I just...it's really nice but I...I just d-don't eat m-much."

 

Linda smiled and took the plate from in front of him. “That’s ok.” She told him, gathering up both Tony and Frank’s plates with hers. She smiled at Mikey and patted his head before taking the dishes to the kitchen to clean up. “I’ve got the dishes, Frank, don’t worry about it.” She set Gerard’s plate aside to put it in the fridge for him to have later if he wanted to. 

 

Frank looked over at Gerard. “Do you want to go back downstairs?” 

 

Gerard nodded. "Yes please...could we watch that movie now?"

 

“Absolutely, if you want to.” Frank smiled and got up from the table, offering his hand to Gerard as he pushed in his chair. 

 

Gerard smiled happily and took Frank's hand, letting himself be pulled to his feet, but stumbling slightly and ending up falling against Frank's chest with a squeak. He looked up at Frank as his cheeks pinked and bit his bottom lip for a moment. "S-sorry." He mumbled, sheepishly.

 

“It’s alright, just promise me no stumbling on the stairs.” Frank smiled at him and kissed his forehead. 

 

"I'll try n-not to Frankie." Gerard whispered. Frank smiled and set Gerard upright on his feet, he took him by the hand and led him downstairs. When they reached Frank's bedroom, Gerard let go of Frank's hand and climbed onto the bed, wiggling around a bit to get comfy while he waited for Frank to join him. 

 

Frank chuckled and crawled onto the bed beside Gerard. “You done your wiggling yet?” He laughed and shook his head at the other boy.

 

Gerard pouted. "I couldn't get comfy."

 

“Well, come over here then.” Frank got comfy and patted the spot beside him. 

 

Gerard grinned and wriggled into Frank's side, snuggling into his warmth. He sighed happily, wrapping one arm around Frank's middle and resting his head on the other boy's chest. "Frankie?"

 

Frank put his arm around him and sighed contentedly. “Yeah?” 

 

Gerard looked up with lightly pink cheeks and a shy smile. "Thank you."

 

Frank furrowed his brows together and looked at Gerard. “For what?” 

 

"For...for saving me and...and for being you."

 

“Oh.” Frank smiled faintly and hugged Gerard tight. “You’re welcome. I couldn’t leave you there, you deserve so much better than that.” 

 

Gerard snuggled down against Frank and relaxed, letting out a deep breath...he didn't really believe that he deserved better; he'd always been told that he deserved nothing. "Can we watch The Little Mermaid now, Frankie?" Gerard murmured, cause he really didn't want to think about anything serious right now.

 

“Of course.” Frank nodded and reached over to pick up the remote to turn the TV on and restart the movie. Gerard was asleep before the credits rolled at the end.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Entering the kitchen, he saw that Frank and Mikey were already there. "Morning." He said softly, with a shy smile. Mikey looked up from his coffee and grinned.
> 
>  
> 
> "Hi Gee. Sleep well?"
> 
>  
> 
> Gerard nodded, walking over and stealing Mikey's coffee, downing it in one. "Yeah, I did...thanks."
> 
>  
> 
> Mikey laughed as he took his now empty cup back. "Sit down, I'll make us both another cup."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***thePetetoherPatrick***  
> haha so here's this...don't even have any comments this time I'm just gonna leave this here for you and go back to writing quietly

Gerard woke up feeling warm and safe, for the first time in a very long time. He opened his eyes slowly to see that the room was dark, and Frank's beautifully tattooed arms were wrapped around him securely from behind. He smiled into the dark then linked his fingers through Frank's before yawning and closing his eyes again. He didn't know what time it was, but he figured Frank probably had an alarm set, even on non-workdays, so he would be ok to sleep some more.

 

The next time Gerard woke up, the room was lighter and he was alone in the bed. He panicked slightly, sitting up and looking quickly around the room, but then his hand touched the sheets where Frank had lay, and they were still warm. He smiled softly with relief and calmed himself down.

 

After a couple of minutes with no sign of Frank returning, Gerard huffed slightly and pushed the blankets off of his legs. He was surprised to see that his legs were bare, but after a momentary freak out, he decided that Frank must've removed his jeans after he'd fallen asleep. Blushing at the realisation, Gerard climbed off the bed and grabbed his jeans that Frank had left on the floor next to Gerard's side of the bed. He pulled them on quickly, then headed upstairs in search of Frank and coffee.

 

Entering the kitchen, he saw that Frank and Mikey were already there. "Morning." He said softly, with a shy smile. Mikey looked up from his coffee and grinned.

 

"Hi Gee. Sleep well?"

 

Gerard nodded, walking over and stealing Mikey's coffee, downing it in one. "Yeah, I did...thanks."

 

Mikey laughed as he took his now empty cup back. "Sit down, I'll make us both another cup."

 

Gerard blushed, looking down. "Thanks Mikes..." He looked over at Frank, who was busy at the stove. "Why didn't you wake me up Frank?" He asked, a touch of anxiety creeping into his voice.

 

"You were tired yesterday, figured you could use the sleep." Frank shrugged and looked around. "Mikey, where the fuck did you move my pepper to?"

 

" _ Me _ ?!...why do you automatically think  _ I _ moved it?...perhaps you sleepwalked and moved it yourself, ever consider  _ that _ ?...hmm?"

 

"Because you were just over here, hovering, and I saw you move something but I don't know what and where you moved it to but I can't find my pepper now." Frank made a perfectly mature face at him. "Don't sass me or I'll give Sweet Pea your eggs and give Gerard your bacon."

 

"Bacon?" Gerard said, snapping to attention with a grin on his face. Mikey rolled his eyes and chuckled.

 

"Fine fine...here's your damn pepper..." He took the little grinder out of his hoodie pocket and handed it over to Frank. "Just don't put too much in my eggs please."

 

Frank took the pepper and swatted at Mikey's hand. "You are already not allowed to cook in my kitchen, don't make me kick you out of the kitchen entirely." Frank narrowed his eyes and turned back to what he was doing at the stove. Gerard giggled, and Mikey winked at him with a grin before going to fix their coffees. Frank shook his head at Mikey and glanced over at the plate of bacon. He divided it up amongst the plates and then divided up the scrambled eggs he'd made. "Alright, it's ready and Mikey, you have like 20 minutes before you gotta head off to work."

 

"Aww, do I  _ have _ to?" He whined like an annoying child. Gerard giggled quietly.

 

"Yes, you do." Frank gave him the best stern dad look he could muster.

 

Mikey sighed dramatically. "Ok  _ dad _ ..." Mikey said, sarcastically drawing out the word. "Chill out old man." Gerard fell into a fit of giggles, but somehow still managed to accept his fresh cup of coffee without spilling a drop. 

 

"I'm not that old, don't sass me  _ kid _ ." Frank said sarcastically as he set the plates on the table. Gerard smiled up at him before diving into his plate of bacon and eggs...well, the bacon anyway...he preferred eggs when they'd cooled down a bit. Frank chuckled and sat down to eat his breakfast.

 

"So what you guys doing today?" Mikey asked when he paused for breath, halfway through his meal. Frank shrugged and looked at Gerard, he hadn't really had a chance to ask what he wanted to do today.

 

Gerard looked at Frank with wide eyes as he swallowed a bite of bacon. "I...I don't know." He mumbled shakily.

 

“We’ll figure something out then.” Frank smiled softly and looked back at his food. 

 

Mikey finished the last bite of his food before getting up from the table and depositing his plate and fork in the sink. "You'll wash up though, right?...cause I gotta get going if I don't want Tony getting mad at me."

 

“Yeah, I got this.” Frank nodded and smiled at him. 

 

Mikey grinned. "Thanks dude..." Then stepped over to Gerard and wrapped his arms around his brothers shoulders before pressing a kiss to his forehead. "I'll see you later Gee, love you." He then headed off to find his shoes before disappearing out the door. Gerard sat there wide eyed, with his mouth hung open. 

 

Frank looked over at Gerard and raised an eyebrow. “What’s the matter?” 

 

"He...really means it, doesn't he." Gerard said in awe.

 

“Well, yeah.” Frank watched Gerard, sighing that Gerard even had reason to struggle understanding this. 

 

Gerard chewed on his lip as he looked back at Frank. "What  _ are _ we gonna do today?"

 

Frank thought about it for a minute and made a face at a couple of ideas that popped into his head. “Well…” he looked at Gerard and chuckled a little. “We could go roller skating.” 

 

Gerard's eyes lit up. "Really?...I haven't done that in years." He said, bouncing in his seat.

 

“Roller skating it is.” Frank smiled at him. “I’ll do the dishes and then we can go. You’ve got time to shower and change if you want to.” He got up to take his plate over to the sink to start the dishes.

 

"Ok Frankie." Gerard got up and headed quickly down to Frank's room. He dug a clean but faded Metallica shirt out of his bag, along with red panties, a pair of knee high black socks and a little black skater skirt...then disappeared into Frank's en-suite bathroom to shower and get dressed. He even decided to wash his hair. 15 minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom to find Frank getting ready himself. "Hey Frankie, I'm ready to go." He said, nervous for Frank's reaction to his outfit.

 

Frank turned around from his dresser and looked at him, doing a double take. “Woah!” He said as he dropped his hand out of the tshirt drawer, his clean shirt landing on the floor. He realized he dropped it and shook his head quickly, and bent down to pick it up. “Ok...I’m just…” He pulled his dirty tshirt over his head and shook his hair out. He tugged the other tshirt on and grabbed his phone and wallet. He moved over towards Gerard and smiled at him. “Mikey told me you wore skirts, I wasn’t sure if he was just being an ass...I’m kind of glad he wasn’t kidding. You are really cute in that.” 

 

Gerard blushed, relief showing on his face as he let out a breath he wasn't aware that he was holding. He giggled slightly. "You...you think I'm...cute?"

 

“I always think you’re cute.” Frank grinned and reached out to take Gerard’s hand in his.

 

Gerard smiled wide and linked his fingers with Frank's. "You're cute too Frankie...just in a more manly way." 

 

Frank laughed and shook his head, he kissed Gerard gently before pulling back. “Come on, let’s go roller skating.” 

 

Gerard smiled and nodded. "Ok. Can we get ice cream while we're out too?...pleeeease?"

 

Frank chuckled quietly at Gerard’s excitement. “Of course we can.” 

 

"Cool..." Gerard bit his lip and looked down at himself for a moment before looking back up through his hair. "You...you don't think I'll g-get laughed at...do you?"

 

“No, I don’t see why you would.” Frank frowned and looked at him. He was beautiful, anyone who laughed at him had to be an idiot. 

 

Gerard looked down. "Mikey used to." He said quietly.

 

“Yes but we already know your brother is kind of an ass sometimes.” Frank tilted his face back up and looked into his pretty green eyes. “You are cute as hell, no matter what you are wearing, and anyone who doesn’t see that is really dumb or blind.”

 

Gerard frowned slightly. "Is everyone except  _ you _ dumb and blind then?"

 

“No, I think you misjudge what people think of you.” Frank frowned back and let go of Gerard’s chin.

 

Gerard looked down. "I don't think I do."

 

“We’ll see about that.” Frank kissed his cheek and tugged at his hand lightly. “C’mon, I believe there is a bike outside waiting for us.” Frank smiled. 

 

Gerard looked up with a small smile spreading on his lips. "I'm gonna have to sit on my skirt...I don't want to show everyone my panties."

 

“Ah, here this might help.” Frank let go of Gerard’s hand to go over to his little coat closet. He pulled out his beat up leather jacket he wore for riding sometimes. “This will be long enough for you to actually sit on better so it’ll hold your skirt down.” 

 

Gerard smiled, turning his back so Frank could help him on with the jacket. "Thank you Frankie."

 

Frank slipped the jacket onto Gerard’s arms and smiled as he turned around. It was just long enough he’d be able to sit on it better than trying to pull the edge of his skirt down to sit on it. The jacket was way long on Frank and he could never do it up while riding but it was Tony’s old jacket so that wasn’t a surprise. Frank got Linda’s size, not Tony’s. “That’ll be easier for you.” 

 

Gerard leaned in and lightly kissed Frank's cheek as a blush spread on his own. "You're too good to me Frankie...thank you."

 

Frank smiled back at him. “I’m not but you’re welcome anyway.” He laced his fingers through Gerard’s again and led him towards the door. 

 

_-_-_-_-_-_

 

When they stepped outside, Gerard gripped a little tighter to Frank's hand, keeping his head down. He was nervous, hoping he wouldn't get the same taunts and nasty words he'd gotten whenever he used to wear his skirts in college...he hoped he could pass, and that no one would comment at all. Frank led him over to his bike and let go of his hand to swing his leg over. Gerard chewed his lip as he looked around, worrying that people were staring. Frank looked back at Gerard and reached towards him. 

 

“Come on, you’ll be alright. I got you.”

 

Gerard gave a small smile and took Frank's hand before climbing onto the bike behind him, making sure to sit on the jacket. Frank smiled widely and started the bike to kick off, and head towards the place he knew they could go roller skating. 

 

~~~~~

 

Gerard was clung tight to Frank as they pulled to a stop...he wasn't sure he could get off the bike right now, the vibrations and being pressed up against Frank had given him a little... _ problem _ , that his skirt was not going to hide. Frank shut the bike off once he got parked and waited for Gerard to get off the bike. When he didn’t move Frank looked back at him. Gerard lowered his head to hide in his hair as his face was fast turning the colour of a tomato.

 

“You ok?”  Frank raised an eyebrow. 

 

Gerard chewed on his lip and looked up through his hair, shaking his head slightly. "I...I c-can't get off the b-bike Frankie." 

 

“Um….?” Frank tried to turn around a bit more. Gerard whimpered as Frank's hip rubbed against his crotch. He closed his eyes, shuddering slightly. Frank was confused at Gerard’s expression for a second and then he clued in. “Oh! Shit...um...oops…” Gerard brought his hands up to cover his bright red face and bitten lip. “Well...what do you wanna do? You wanna sit here and wait a minute?” Gerard nodded his head, face still in hands. “Hey, it’s ok, it happens.”

 

Gerard swallowed and lowered his fingers a little to peep over the top of them. "F-Frankie?"

 

“Yeah?” Frank raised an eyebrow. 

 

"Can we...find s-somewhere...private?"

 

“Yeah, um……” Frank looked around for a second. “Here, hold on, I’m gonna pull over closer to the building and we’ll see if we can’t get you off the bike and wrap the jacket around you...shit. Or did you mean like...home.” Frank winced as he tried to figure out what Gerard meant. 

 

"Home." Gerard all but whispered. 

 

Frank nodded “Ok, hold on then.” he said and sat back forward on his bike. Gerard wrapped his arms loosely around Frank's middle again and hoped they didn't get caught in traffic on the way...he really needed to get home so he could take care of things...or maybe Frank could help him?

 

~~~~~

 

Frank pulled up in the driveway by his little staircase side entrance and shut off the bike. He propped it up on the kickstand and waited for Gerard to move. Gerard's problem was now even worse. He whimpered as he shifted and climbed off the bike, his skirt riding up as he moved. Frank swung his leg over to get off the bike and grabbed Gerard by the hand to lead him downstairs and inside. Gerard followed with his red face lowered and his bottom lip trapped between his teeth. 

 

“You ok?” He asked Gerard when they were safely inside. 

 

Gerard looked up slowly and whimpered. "I...I need..." 

 

Frank pulled Gerard closer to him gently. “What do you need?” 

 

Gerard pushed into Frank's hold. "Y-you Frankie...please?" 

 

Frank closed what little space was left between them to kiss Gerard, wrapping his arms around his waist. Gerard melted into the kiss, moaning quietly and pressing his hips forward, unconsciously seeking friction. Frank moved his hands down to Gerard’s hips, the material of the skirt soft against his fingers. He swiped his tongue at Gerard’s bottom lip. Gerard gasped, his lips parting as his fingers clung to Frank's shirt. Frank took the invitation and explored Gerard’s mouth with his tongue, pushing against Gerard a bit. Gerard shuddered, a high breathy moan escaping between their lips. Frank broke the kiss and moved his mouth down to kiss along Gerard’s jaw, nosing stray strands of hair out of the way to get at his neck. 

 

Gerard shivered, whining slightly as he felt his cock twitch beneath his skirt. "F-Frankie please."

 

Frank smiled and pulled Gerard towards his bed in the corner. “I’ve got you, Gee.” He slid his leather jacket off Gerard’s arms and tossed it over onto the couch. He kicked off his shoes and went back to mouthing at Gerard’s neck as he pushed his hands up under his shirt. Gerard tipped his head back and to the right to give Frank more access, closing his eyes as his mouth fell open with a soft moan escaping his kiss-swollen lips. Frank pushed Gerard back to the bed gently till he could easily lay him down on it and crawl up over him. Gerard whined, his legs spreading apart a little automatically. He knew he should feel embarrassed, but something about the way Frank looked at him,  _ touched _ him...Gerard just wanted to give himself completely. Frank pushed Gerard’s shirt up to pull it over his head, watching for signs of him being uncomfortable or panicking again. Gerard shivered slightly as the cool air touched his pale, but heated skin...but he wanted this too much to do more than let out a soft whine as he bit down on his lip, sucking it into his mouth. Frank moved his hands over the soft skin of Gerard’s chest and moaned at the little noises he made.

 

"F-Frankie, please."

 

Frank looked up at the sound of his name and smiled before moving his hands down to Gerard’s skirt to get it off of him. He chuckled quietly at the lace panties underneath, moving his hand down over him. Gerard whimpered, his hips thrusting up. Frank sat up on his feet for a second to ditch his hoodie and t-shirt, before leaning back over Gerard to kiss him firmly and moaning into it. Gerard whined, pushing at Frank's chest. Frank furrowed his brows together worriedly and backed off, letting Gerard push him as far as he wanted him. He was half afraid he’d scared Gerard or something. Gerard's eyes shot straight to Frank's chest, his fingers tracing the colours there. He licked his lips, then leaned up to run his tongue over Frank's tattooed skin. Frank shut his eyes and smiled at the feeling for a second before sitting up properly to pull Gerard into his lap. He forgot Gerard had a thing about his tattoos. Gerard gasped, pressing himself down against Frank.

 

“Fuck…” Frank groaned and held onto Gerard tightly.

 

Gerard shivered. "Please...Frankie please."

 

Frank pulled at the waistband of the lace panties and slipped them off of him the best he could, lifting him out of his lap to get them all the way off. He wrapped his hand around Gerard, stroking him and kissing his neck, shoulders, and chest. 

 

Gerard bucked up into Frank's hand. "Oh God please...F-Frankie please t-take me." 

 

Frank groaned and pushed him up against the wall beside the bed. He leaned over to the nightstand and fumbled the drawer open to grab the little bottle of lube. He applied a good amount to his fingers and teased at Gerard’s entrance before pushing in to open him up. Gerard whimpered, his fingers gripping at Frank's shoulders...it had been a while. 

 

“You ok?” Frank asked, pulling back a bit to look at him. 

 

Gerard nodded, breathing heavily for a moment. "Yeah just...go slow?" 

 

Frank nodded. “Ok, baby.” He kissed him and slowly builds up to add a second finger. He pushed in and opened him up slowly, trying to make it feel as good as he could for Gerard and letting him adjust. Gerard's breath was shaky as he whimpered and started to move, pushing down on Frank's fingers until suddenly...

 

"OH GOD!...FRANKIE, RIGHT TH-THERE!!"

 

Frank chuckled and kissed him deeply to quiet the shouts, then pushed in a third finger. He loved every little noise Gerard made. He pulled out once he was sure he would be alright. He pushed Gerard out of his lap for a second and wiggled out of his jeans and boxers as quickly as he could. He lifted Gerard up and back into his lap. Gerard pushed up on his knees, then reached behind himself and took Frank's cock in his hand. He lined up the tip with his hole, then locked eyes with Frank, and sunk down in one, slow, move...his mouth falling open in a perfect O as a soft moan escaped his lips. 

 

Frank groaned and held onto Gerard’s hips. “F-fuck…” His hips bucked up a bit but he tried to stay still the best he could. Gerard stilled as he bottomed out, moving his hands onto Frank's shoulders and trembling slightly. He squeezed his eyes shut and whined...Frank's cock was a  _ lot _ bigger than anything Gerard had had in his ass in years. “Y-you alr-right?” Frank asked him, holding onto him.

 

Gerard swallowed, then nodded tentatively. "Y-you're b-big...just...give m-me a minute...p-please?"

 

Frank nodded and kissed his cheek gently. “Ok...don’t rush yourself…” Gerard nodded shakily, leaning his forehead against Frank's and just breathing slow and deep. Frank held onto Gerard, kissing gently at his neck and staying as still as he could for him.

 

After a few minutes, Gerard shifted his hips experimentally, and gave out a soft sigh. He lifted his head and met Frank's eyes again. He smiled timidly and nodded. "I think I'm ok now Frankie." Frank groaned and pulled out almost all the way to push back in. Gerard's breath hitched and he let out a quiet whine, his fingers gripping at Frank's shoulders. 

 

“Fuck…” Frank moaned and kissed Gerard, starting to set a slow but steady pace thrusting into him. 

 

"Uh Frankie..." Gerard moaned in reply. "So...*uh*... so g-good." 

 

“Yeah…?” Frank picked up his pace a little and groaned, gripping Gerard’s hips and running his hands down his thighs. Gerard mewled, his eyes fluttering closed as he started to move himself...lifting up on his knees, then dropping carefully back down again. Frank moaned and loosened his grip on Gerard to let him move more freely. Gerard lifted up then slid back down, rolling his hips and letting out short "uh uh uh" noises as he moved. Frank buried his face against Gerard’s neck and met his movements. 

 

“Uh...oh God...F-Frankie...please." 

 

“Ah…” Frank’s groan was muffled in Gerard’s shoulder and he thrusted up harder. Gerard cried out as Frank's big cock hit his prostate dead on. Frank loved that noise and shifted his angle to hear more of it. Gerard screamed as his vision whited out and pleasure flooded through him. 

 

"Oh God Frankieeeee." 

 

“Shit...Gee...so close….” Frank panted and whined, kissing Gerard and then moving down to his neck. 

 

Gerard ground down, practically sobbing from the feeling. "G-God...me t-too." 

 

Frank moaned against Gerard’s throat and reached between them to stroke Gerard in time with his thrusts. “...with me…” Frank could barely manage the words. 

 

Gerard whined, his whole body shaking until with a cry..."Ahhhh."...he came hard over both of their chests. Frank’s hips stuttered as Gerard tightened around him, he thrusted up and cried out as he came. He rested Gerard against the wall and rested his head on his shoulder. 

 

Gerard panted, his body going limp in Frank's arms. "Oh God...F-Frankie. That was..." He took a shuddering breath, whimpering slightly at his over sensitivity. "Wow."

 

Frank grinned at him. “Yeah.” He lifted Gerard up gently to pull out and set him back down on the bed, kissing his cheek gently. 

 

Gerard whimpered at the sudden empty feeling, then smiled softly. "Thank you Frankie." 

 

Frank nodded and moved away from Gerard a bit to grab a cloth to clean them up quickly and gently. He tossed the cloth at the laundry hamper when he was done and held out his arms to Gerard in offer of cuddles. “C’mere.” Gerard grinned and moved quickly into Frank's arms, snuggling in. He yawned quietly and closed his eyes. Frank laid them down, smiling at the cute little yawn, and pulled a blanket over them. He pulled Gerard close to him and humming contentedly. 

 

"Can we sleep now Frankie?"

 

“Yeah, we can sleep for a bit now if you want to. Got a few hours.” Frank smiled and looked down at him. 

 

Gerard rubbed his face against Frank's chest sleepily and yawned again. "Love you Frankie." He mumbled as he drifted off to sleep. 

 

Frank kissed his forehead and smiled. “Love you too, Gerard.” He hummed before he settled into the warmth and let himself fall asleep with Gerard wrapped tightly in his arms. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Mikey, let me put it to you this way...if you are the one that just scared him and woke me up you have about five seconds before I get out of under these covers and kick your ass.” 
> 
> Mikey giggled, holding up his hands in surrender. "I just came to tell you we're all back, and we picked up pizzas on the way home. If you want some, you better get dressed and come get it before we eat yours..." He stood up straight and headed toward the stairs. He paused at the bottom of them to turn back. "Oh, and one more thing...if you're gonna fuck my brother again, can you always make sure I'm not here?...thanks Frank."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***thePetetoherPatrick***  
>  Ok so I'm going to warn you now this chapter is a little rough and there's flashbacks to an abusive relationship and stuff so please be safe lovelies and don't read it if it's gonna hurt you or bring up bad shit. Anyways, so this has been done and ready for a while now but apparently I'm just a scatter-brained mess and forgot to put it up. Oops. I love you guys and I'm sorry, I promise - xoxo Tae

Gerard woke up warm and safe, Frank's arms wrapped around him from behind and Frank's body plastered to his back. He smiled before opening his eyes, then screamed out when he found his little brother's face an inch or two from his, Mikey staring right at him.  Mikey laughed loudly at Gerard's reaction. 

 

Frank grumbled at being woken up so rudely and blinked his eyes repeatedly until he could see well enough to see what woke him up. He saw Mikey and a startled looking Gerard. He frowned at Mikey. “Mikey, let me put it to you this way...if you are the one that just scared him and woke me up you have about five seconds before I get out of under these covers and kick your ass.” 

 

Mikey giggled, holding up his hands in surrender. "I just came to tell you we're all back, and we picked up pizzas on the way home. If you want some, you better get dressed and come get it before we eat yours..." He stood up straight and headed toward the stairs. He paused at the bottom of them to turn back. "Oh, and one more thing...if you're gonna fuck my brother again, can you  _ always _ make sure I'm not here?...thanks Frank." He grinned, then turned and raced up the stairs and out of sight. Gerard tried to bury his face in the pillows as his cheeks flushed bright red.

 

Frank frowned, Mikey should’ve been at work when they...he shook his head. “Do you have any particular attachment to him?” He looked down at Gerard and smiled a little at the other boy hiding his face. Frank hummed and pulled Gerard over to him to kiss his forehead.

 

Gerard purred contentedly, curling into Frank's chest. "I have an attachment to  _ you _ ." He said quietly, looking up at Frank with wide eyes.

 

“Hmmm, good.” Frank chuckled and kissed Gerard’s cheek. “But that doesn’t tell me how mad you’d be if I actually did kick your brother’s ass.” 

 

"Well..." Gerard said slowly, actually thinking about it. "I can't say I'd be totally devastated, as long as he could still walk afterward."

 

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Frank grinned and leaned down to kiss Gerard properly. 

 

Gerard hummed happily into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Frank's neck and moving one leg up and around Frank to pull their bodies closer...their naked cocks brushing together. Gerard whined slightly, breaking the kiss. "Do you think they'd mind if we didn't go up for food?" 

 

Frank smiled at him and shook his head. “Even if they don’t leave us any, which is a real possibility with Mikey, I can make us something.” 

 

Mikey shouted down the stairs at them. "DON'T YOU DARE FUCK WHILE I'M HERE!!" Gerard turned bright red and buried his face into Frank's neck.

 

Frank tried not to laugh and looked at Gerard. He looked over at the stairs. “NO ONE ASKED FOR YOUR OPINION.” He heard Tony say something about ‘As long as I can’t hear it I don’t care what they do down there.’ and chuckled because of course his dad would be on his side. He also heard the sound of someone getting swatted and from the sound of it he was sure it was Linda swatting Tony. 

 

Gerard groaned. "That's it, I have to stay down here forever now...I can never face your mom and dad again."

 

“They don’t care, we’re not kids and they know we’re together.” Frank kissed his forehead. “You’ll be fine.”

 

Gerard shook his head. "No, I'm gonna spontaneously combust if I have to face them...I don't want to spontaneously combust Frankie." He said with a pout and puppy dog eyes.

 

“You’re not gonna spontaneously combust.” Frank shook his head. 

 

Gerard pouted harder. "You don't know that...it's a real thing you know."

 

“I promise you that you’re not gonna combust.” Frank sighed. “And if you do we have a fire extinguisher.” 

 

Gerard looked down, his voice going small. "You're making fun of me, aren't you...you think I'm an idiot."

 

“No, of course not.” Frank frowned and hugged Gerard tight. “No one here is going to make fun of you, apart from maybe your brother and he’s easily dealt with. If we do make fun of you we don’t mean anything by it and if you tell us it bothers you we won’t do it anymore.” 

 

Gerard looked up timidly. "Y-you won't?" His ex used to tease him and make fun of him, making him feel small and stupid all the time...he'd grown to believe that was normal.

 

“No, we won’t. Gerard, we would never intentionally do anything to hurt you and that includes hurting you emotionally.” Frank brushed a hand over Gerard’s cheek and watched his face as he told him this. 

 

Gerard leaned into the touch. "P-please don't hurt me like he did Frankie...please?"

 

Frank frowned deeply. “Who did? Your dad? I would never ever hurt you the way he has, I promise you that.”

 

Gerard looked down, his voice dropping to a whisper. "No, not him."

 

“Someone else hurt you?” Frank grew more concerned. Gerard kept his head down, curling into himself a bit. Frank brought his face back up with a finger under his chin. “Gerard, listen to me, I will  _ never  _ hurt you. I’d never be able to live with myself if I did. You’re too sweet and you deserve to be happy and cared for.” 

 

Gerard sighed softly. "You...you mean it?...I'm, I'm really safe here?" 

 

“Yes.” Frank said quietly and without hesitation. “And you know what I think?”

 

Gerard tipped his head slightly to the right. "What?"

 

“I think we should go have pizza with them so I can harass your brother for being an ass and I think you should wear your skirt.” Frank told him and smiled gently. 

 

Gerard chewed on his lip for a moment. "They won't laugh?"

 

Frank shook his head. “No, they won’t laugh.”

 

Gerard nodded slightly. "But Mikey will."

 

“And Mikey will get a swat up the back of the head and an earful if he tries it.” Frank rolled his eyes. 

 

Gerard smiled slightly. "That'll be new for...him."

 

“He’ll learn.” Frank kissed his forehead. “Come on, let’s go.”

 

Gerard's smile widened a little. "O-ok. Let's get dressed first though, yeah?"

 

“Yeah.” Frank smiled back and shooed him so he’d get up so Frank could move. Gerard giggled slightly and climbed over Frank and off of the bed, walking naked over to his clothes to get redressed. Frank hummed happily before pushing himself up to swing his legs over the side of the bed and grab some sweatpants. His parents were used to seeing him wander around with no shirt and he was positive Gerard wouldn’t mind. It was his home and it was evening, why did he need a shirt.

 

Gerard slipped his red panties back on, followed by his skirt and faded shirt...he left his stockings off. He turned to look at Frank and swallowed heavily. "Um, Frankie?"

 

Frank looked at Gerard and raised an eyebrow. “What?” 

 

Gerard giggled slightly, his cheeks turning pink. "I personally have no problem with you walking around like that, but I think your parents might take exception to me drooling at the dinner table...don't you?"

 

Frank smiled and stepped forward to take hold of Gerard’s hand. “Well it’s a good thing, then, that Pizza is not a dinner table affair in this house.” Frank grinned. 

 

Gerard smiled wide. "A very good thing indeed." Frank chuckled and led Gerard upstairs to find everyone else in the living room with the pizza on the coffee table. Gerard hid himself behind Frank as much as he could, still nervous about everyone's reactions to his skirt. Frank wasn’t having it and just as Linda looked up he moved out of in front of Gerard.

 

“Oh! Oh that’s so cute.” Linda’s face lit up and she set down her pizza to go over to him and fuss over him. Frank smiled at Gerard, he knew his mother would be like this about it. 

 

Tony looked up from his food and raised an eyebrow for a second but shrugged and nodded. “It looks good on you, and if you’re brave enough to wear it then you’re a better man than me. I’d be afraid of it flapping up.” Tony chuckled at himself.

 

Gerard giggled slightly. "Me too, sometimes." He chanced a look at Mikey, but was surprised to see a smile on his brother's face.

 

"Looking good Gee." Mikey said before taking a bite of his pizza. Gerard smiled wide.   
  
"Thanks."

 

Frank smiled proudly and considered giving Mikey a hug but thought he’d better not. Let the kid earn it. Linda looked like she had an idea and from experience Frank knew that could be really good or really not. She hummed in thought and then shook her head. “We’ll worry about that after dinner.” She said to no one in particular and shooed them towards the food. Tony patted at the couch beside him for Gerard and Frank to sit. 

 

Gerard smiled shyly and walked over with Frank. He smoothed down his skirt at the back and sat down at the far end of the couch from Tony, so that Frank could sit between them, then he pushed the loose fabric of the front of the skirt down between his thighs self consciously. Frank sat down in the space left for him and leaned forward to grab a paper plate and put some pizza on it. He held it out for Gerard. Gerard accepted the plate with a small smile and a soft thank you, then sat quietly and waited for everyone else to have their food. Frank got his own pizza and sat back while the others happily ate their food. He looked up at the TV to see what they were watching and wasn’t surprised to find his father had put it on the retro cartoon station again. 

 

Gerard took a small, tentative bite of his pizza slice and watched the people around him. This was new to him; a family sitting together to eat and it not being tense and uncomfortable...and him not being told to not eat too much cause he was fat enough already. He remembered the last time he ate with Steven before he decided he'd had enough of the abuse and ran away.

 

_ "You should stop eating for a while, I don't want to be seen with a fat pig for a boyfriend..." _

 

_ Steven spat at Gerard between bites of his double cheese burger. Gerard shook his head slightly, his eyes lowered to his plate of carrot sticks. _

 

_ "Actually, yeah, give those to the rabbit...you can start your diet today, just water from now on." _

 

_ Gerard dared to look up, his right eye swollen from the hit he'd taken last night. _

 

_ "For...for how long?" _

 

_ Steven was out of his seat in a second and Gerard was on the ground, whimpering in pain three minutes later. _

 

Gerard shook himself out of the memory and put his slice of pizza back on his plate...his appetite was gone now. Frank saw him set down his food out of the corner of his eye and looked at him in concern. 

 

“You ok?” He asked barely above a whisper, so only Gerard would hear and his parents wouldn’t bother him. 

 

Gerard swallowed, his eyes moving to Frank's, then down to his lap. "Y-yeah, just not that hungry." He mumbled quietly.

 

Frank frowned and sighed quietly. “Please try to eat something.”

 

Gerard chewed on his lip for a moment, then glanced up at Frank through his lashes. "Ok, just a l-little though." He picked up his slice and took a small bite, giving Frank a half smile after. Frank smiled back and kissed his cheek, it didn’t make him feel better but a little was better than nothing. Gerard ate a grand total of five bites of pizza before putting the slice back on his plate...he was pretty sure he'd throw up if he had to eat more as memories flashed through his mind.

 

Linda chose that precise moment to look over at Gerard. "Are you not feeling well, sweetheart?"

 

"Uh, no, not really...sorry." Gerard mumbled out, his head down.

 

"No no, it's alright." Linda gave Frank a pointed look and he nodded.

 

"You wanna lay down?"

 

Gerard nodded slightly. "Please." 

 

Frank nodded and set what was left of his food down to get up and hold his hand out to Gerard. Gerard took Frank's hand and let himself be pulled up onto his feet. He wobbled slightly, his head spinning for a second before he righted himself and smiled weakly at Frank. 

 

"Come on." Frank put an arm around Gerard, not totally trusting his ability to keep himself upright. He led him towards the stairs, Linda nodded at him on their way past. Gerard leaned into Frank...he felt safe with Frank. They made it down the stairs pretty much in one piece, and Gerard yawned as soon as he saw the bed. Frank got Gerard over to the bed and set him down on it. 

 

Gerard smiled softly up at Frank, something told him that Frank would  _ never _ treat him like Steven did...would he? His smile slipped slightly as the possibility that this Frank could just be an act crept into his mind unbidden. Frank watched Gerard's expression change and frowned.

 

"Gerard? What's wrong?"

 

Gerard shook his head slightly. "N-nothing, I'm just tired I g-guess."

 

Frank sighed and sat beside him. “And now I’m calling bullshit, something is wrong but you just don’t want to tell me. I wanna help, but I can’t do that if I don’t know.” 

 

Gerard put his head in his hands wearily. "Y-you can't h-help. I just...it's something I just n-need to deal with myself..." He looked up timidly. "Please don't be mad?"

 

“I’m not mad.” Frank shook his head. “But I want you to listen to me, and understand what I’m saying.” He moved so he was kneeling in front of Gerard and took hold of his hands. “You don’t  _ have _ to deal with anything on your own. I’m here for you no matter what it is and I will do everything I possibly can to help you. You’re not alone anymore.” 

 

Gerard took a shaky breath and let it out on a small sob. He hung his head. "I'm s-scared Frankie."

 

“What are you scared of?” Frank asked him softly and sat on his own feet.

 

Gerard took a few deep breaths to steady his nerves. "That...that this is all an act. That you'll turn into him...cause he was nice to start off with too and I didn't know til it was too late and by then I was in too deep and it was too late and, and..." Tears flooded down Gerard's cheeks as he broke down into heavy, painful sobs. "...and I don't want you to be l-like him." 

 

Frank shushed him softly and reached up to wipe away the tears. He gently pulled Gerard to him and held him tightly. “Whoever he was, I hate him for doing this to you.” Frank muttered and brushed Gerard’s hair away from his face. “I will never ever be like him.” 

 

Gerard shook his head weakly. "He said that t-too...he s-said he'd n-never be like my d-dad." 

 

Frank closed his eyes and rested his chin on top of Gerard’s head. “If you don’t want to talk about it right now then you don’t have to...but what did he do to you?” 

 

Gerard shuddered as more tears fell. "He...he...l can't, I-I'm sorry."

 

Frank shook his head and wiped away the tears with his thumb. “It’s ok, you don’t have to.” He sat there holding Gerard and he wished more than anything he could help Gerard forget all the crap he’d been put through in his life. Gerard clung to Frank...he really hoped that this was real, but that voice in the back of his mind told him not to trust...not again. Frank very carefully shifted so he and Gerard were laying down, still holding Gerard close to him and content to lay there until Gerard felt better. Gerard sniffed and sobbed quietly, holding onto Frank's warmth for as long as the other boy would allow him to...until he eventually drifted off to sleep. Frank listened to Gerard’s breathing even out as he fell asleep. He pressed a gentle kiss to Gerard’s forehead and decided that if he was going to stay put then a nap couldn’t hurt.

 

~~~~~

 

_ "Fat pig, you're disgusting." _

 

_ "I'm s-sorry, I'm sorry." _

 

_ *Whack!*...Steven's fist hit Gerard's already bruised cheek, splitting the skin with his heavy class ring. Gerard cried out, falling awkwardly against the coffee table, pain shooting through his right side. *Whack!* _

 

_ "Worthless fucking slut." _

 

_ *Punch. Kick. Punch. Kick. Kick. Kick.* _

 

_ "Goodnight whore." _

 

_ Gerard felt a final kick to the side of his head, and he blacked out. _

 

Gerard woke with a scream, thrashing violently against the arms that were holding him. Frank woke up a little winded as something hit him in the stomach, it took his a second to realize it was Gerard. Once he did he immediately kicked into action trying to get him to settle down without getting hit again.

 

“Hey...Gerard, it’s ok. It’s me, Frank.” Frank pinned his arms down and tried to catch his breath. He knew it likely wasn’t smart to pin Gerard down but that hurt and he needed him to quit thrashing like that. He loosened his hold and shushed Gerard quietly. “It’s ok, baby, it was just a dream. It’s gone now.”

 

Gerard continued to struggle, his eyes squeezed shut tight as desperate wails and cries escaped his lips and tears flooded his face.

 

“Gerard, calm down, please.” Frank let go of him, holding him down wasn’t helping and was probably freaking him out more. He looked at the stairs and considered going to get Mikey. “Shhhhhhh, you’re ok.”

 

Gerard lashed out now that his hands were free...he couldn't let Steven do it again, not again. Frank groaned as Gerard hands connected. 

 

“Fuck.” Frank moved away from him and turned on a light. Maybe that would wake him the hell up.  

 

"No, please don't S-Steven...please?" Gerard whimpered as his movements became sluggish and weak, he was still  _ trying _ to defend himself though.

 

Frank frowned, watching as he moved slower, and pulled Gerard up into a sitting position and into his lap. “I am  _ not _ Steven.” Frank said firmly, realizing that must be who hurt him. Frank held him with arms tucked between them. “It’s Frank.” 

 

Gerard whimpered, shaking and struggling lightly, his eyes still closed. "D-don't make me...it hurts." Frank felt his heart drop and his eyes go wide, he can’t get his head around what it sounds like to him. He looked down at Gerard, his eyes still closed. He wasn’t coming out of this on his own like he should.

 

“Come on, Gee, time to wake up.” Frank felt weird using Mikey’s nickname for Gerard but he kind of liked it. He shook Gerard gently. “You need to wake up now, open your eyes.” 

 

Gerard's eyes fluttered slightly and he sobbed. "Don't, I...I d-don't like it Steven, I c-can't."

 

“Come on, Gee.” Frank shook him a little harder, his eyes stung at the thought of what was going on in Gerard’s head right now. “You gotta wake up for me.” 

 

Suddenly Gerard's eyes flew open wide and he cried out. "NOOO!..." Before breaking down completely, and collapsing against Frank's bare chest, clinging to him tight. "F-Frankie-e… d-don't l-leave me, p-please Frankie, p-please."

 

Frank held him tight, relieved he was awake and pretty sure he was crying now too. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here. You’re safe.” He whispered softly and carded his fingers through Gerard’s hard as he held onto him, tucking his head under his chin.

 

"No no, you're g-gonna leave me and I'll b-be all alone and and..." Gerard trailed off into sobs.

 

“No, I’m not.” Frank shook his head gently. “I’m not going anywhere for as long as you want me to stay. I don’t want to leave you and I’m not going to.” 

 

"But, but when you know w-what he d-did...you w-won't w-want me anymore."

 

“No, knowing what he’s done to you will help me know how to help you.” Frank wiped at his face. “Besides, you were talking in your sleep. I sort of already have an idea of what he did and if it’s what I think then I hope he’s suffering for it. What he did doesn’t have any sway on how I feel about you.” 

 

"He..." Gerard swallowed thickly, he'd never actually told  _ anyone _ about this. He tried again. "He was nice at first, he...he said he understood that I w-wasn't ready. But then...then he..." He sobbed. "He got imp-patient. He m-made me...made me..." He broke down again.

 

Frank hugged Gerard tight and shushed his in as soft a voice as he could manage. “Then he is an asshole and should be rotting in a jail cell.” 

 

Gerard shook his head, sobbing quietly. "I th-thought he l-loved me...he s-said he l-loved me..." He looked up at Frank with red puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks. "He said if I told..." His eyes went wide, a frightened whimper leaving his lips. "But now I told  _ you _ ...he said if I told anyone, th-they'd th-think I'm a s-slut."

 

“Well you know what...he’s wrong.” Frank shook his head.

 

"He's not, I'm a s-slut...I l-let him...he...he let them..."

 

“No.” Frank shook his head. “‘Slut’ implies you did it because you wanted to. ‘Slut’ implies some level of willing and unforced consent. And even if you had I wouldn’t think any less of you.”

 

"You...wouldn't?"

 

“Ummm no...that’d be a little hypocritical.” Frank gave a small sheepish smile.

 

Gerard tilted his head to the right. "Huh?"

 

“It’d be hypocritical to think any less of you if you had willingly slept with other people...” Frank looked at him, unsure of what exactly confused him. 

 

"But...but I  _ didn’t _ ."

 

Frank tried not to smile at how Gerard didn’t seem to get it and kissed his forehead gently. “I know, you’ve told me that. I’m telling you that no matter what I’m not going to judge you for anything.” 

 

"Not anything?...really?" Gerard didn't believe that, there were things Frank would  _ definitely  _ judge him on...if he ever found out.

 

“Well no, not unless it was like...really really severe.” Frank shook his head. “Let me put it to you this way...if it hasn’t earned you jail time or hurt a person or animal then I’m not usually likely to judge you for it.” Frank thought for a second. “Unless of course you turn without using your turn signal, then you’re just one of the worst people ever.” Frank chuckled.

 

Gerard giggled slightly, shaking his head a bit. "N-no, I'd never d-do that Frankie."

 

Frank smiled at him and smushed his face back against Gerard’s head. “Good, that’s how guys like me on our bikes end up getting hurt. Morons who don’t use turn signals.” Frank sighed. “You feeling any better? Or do you wanna sit here and talk for a bit?”

 

Gerard sighed, looking down. "I...I never talked about...him before."

 

“We can talk about whatever you want to talk about if you don’t want to talk about him.” Frank looked at Gerard and gave him a reassuring squeeze. 

 

Gerard looked up with a shy smile. "C-can we talk about w-what we d-did earlier?...or better, can we d-do it again?"

 

Frank looked at him a little surprised. “Do you want to?”

 

"If...if  _ you  _ do?"

 

“I’m just making sure it’s what you want.” Frank smiled at him and leaned down to kiss him. 

 

Gerard purred into the kiss, it was a slightly awkward angle, but it was Frank, so Gerard didn't mind. Frank smiled at the little noise, before breaking the kiss and pulling at Gerard’s hip gently to get him to turn so it was easier to kiss him. Gerard complied and moved to straddle Frank's lap, his skirt riding up over his thighs. Frank moved his hands to grip Gerard’s hips and kiss him again. Gerard whined softly, loving the feel of Frank holding him. Frank moaned back quietly and moved his hands up under Gerard’s shirt. Gerard shivered at the touch and ground down a little, electric pleasure shooting through him. Frank’s moan was louder this time and he pushed Gerard’s shirt up to get it off of him. Gerard lifted his arms to assist, desperate to feel Frank's hands on him again. Frank tossed the shirt aside and ran his hands over Gerard’s hips and up his sides, just touching and feeling the soft skin. Frank leaned forward to kiss Gerard’s neck and mark the smooth skin of his collarbone and throat.

 

"Ahh...F-Frankie...I want to f-feel you...inside me..." Gerard said between soft gasps and pants. " _ Need _ you."

 

Frank groaned and laid Gerard back on the bed to pull his skirt down off of him carefully, his panties following quickly. Frank ditched his sweat pants and looked down at Gerard. He wasn’t actually sure how he’d gotten lucky enough to have this beautiful man want him like this. He leaned over and grabbed the lube to open Gerard up.

 

Gerard shook his head. "I'm still stretched from before...please, just fuck me...please?" Frank looked up at him and nodded. He used some of the lube on himself instead and lined up to push in, willing to trust Gerard and try it at least. He leaned over him and started to push forward. Gerard breathed deeply, his fingers clenching in the sheets as he accepted Frank into him. His eyes watered but he needed it...he needed to  _ feel _ . 

 

Frank saw the look on Gerard’s face and hesitated. “You ok, baby?” Gerard nodded, teeth buried in his bottom lip as a tear slid down his face. He lifted one hand out of the sheets to cup Frank's cheek reassuringly...he really needed this. Frank kissed at Gerard’s hand gently and reached down to wipe away the tears. He went really slow and was very careful to let Gerard adjust as he went. Gerard trembled, slightly unsure that he'd made the right call not wanting to be stretched again...but he wouldn't chicken out. He closed his eyes and breathed steadily until Frank had bottomed out. Frank stopped once he’d bottomed out and gently kissed Gerard’s cheek, waiting for him to adjust and trying to stay still for him. Gerard pressed his head back into the pillows, feeling sweat bead at his hairline as he waited for his body to adjust. After a couple of minutes, he started to fidget.

 

“H-how are you d-doing?” Frank smiled gently, watching his face and trying to read him.

 

Gerard nodded, releasing his lip from between his teeth. "I'm g-good. Move please?" Frank nodded and shifted his hips, slow careful thrusts pushing at first, groaning at the feeling. Gerard let his eyes flutter closed as his breath hitched in his throat. "M-more. Need to f-feel you...please?"

 

“Fuck...” Frank choked out and moaned. He leaned down to kiss Gerard hard as he thrusted a little harder, Gerard felt so good. Gerard clung to Frank, his legs wrapping around Frank's waist and his arms around Frank's neck, fingernails scratching at the back of Frank's shoulders as he whimpered and mewled into the kiss. He needed this so bad, needed to forget what Steven did to him, what his dad did...

 

Gerard trembled at the memory and pushed it away...no, he couldn't think of that now, not ever...he had to only think of Frank...only  _ feel _ Frank, and forget about all the bad stuff from before. He arched his back, pulling Frank deeper into him with a moan.

 

"F-Frankie...oh God p-please." 

 

He shuddered as Frank's cock hit his prostate dead on. His own cock twitched between them. Frank started thrusting harder, aiming for that spot again. Gerard squeezed his eyes tight shut and bit down hard on his lower lip to keep his moans inside...he really didn't want Frank's family, or Mikey, hearing him moaning like a porn star. It was hard though cause he was so close already. Frank groaned quietly, and leaned down to kiss at Gerard’s neck. He loved the little noises Gerard was making even though he was trying really hard to stay quiet. He was so close and this felt so good. Gerard trembled, grinding down hard as little whimpers escaped his lips. 

 

“So...good, fuck...you’re so b-beautiful, Gee...so perfect.” 

 

Frank whispered near his ear as he kissed and bit his way down to his shoulder again. Gerard gasped, his fingers gripping hard to Frank's shoulders.

 

"Oh God...I'm gonna, gonna..."

 

His breaths became fast and desperate.

 

"Pl-please...I n-need...can I cum...p-please?"

 

“Yeah, baby...cum for me.” 

 

Gerard whimpered, shook, then with a cry...came hard between them, his whole body tensing, his muscles clenching around Frank's cock. Frank moaned loudly and slammed into him, cumming hard. 

 

“Fuck…” 

 

Gerard sobbed slightly, then fell limp, his eyes rolling back as he passed out. Frank frowned deeply and pulled out before carefully getting off the bed to go get a cloth to clean them up. He stubbed his foot on something and cursed under his breath before he managed to get back to Gerard. He cleaned him gently, making sure he hadn’t hurt him, and tossed the cloth into the laundry hamper before he crawled back into the bed beside Gerard. He curled up and hugged him close to his chest. Frank honestly didn’t think he was going to sleep the rest of the night. There was no way in hell he was going to be able to sleep. Something was wrong and it was going to bother him till Gerard woke up.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He was just protecting us..." Mikey said defensively. "Let him go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***thePetetoherPatrick*** - sorry this took so long, that is mainly my fault because I'm an inconsistent shit. I'm slowly actually getting shit together and writing back with my cowriters so you know...there is that.

Gerard woke with a start and a quiet cry. The room was dark and Frank was asleep beside him. 

  
Quietly, he slipped out of the bed and picked up one of Frank's shirts, slipping it on before silently leaving the room.

  
He crept up the stairs into the sleeping house and headed to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and took out a jug of orange juice, then gazed around the large room, trying to work out where he'd be likely to find a glass. Not knowing what was where, he headed over to the sink, where he could see two glasses on the drainer. 

  
  
He set down the jug and picked up one of the glasses. It was still wet, so he grabbed a dishcloth and started to dry it.

 

His eyes drifted up to the window over the sink...and he screamed, the glass slipping from his fingers to fall with a smash onto the floor.

 

He stumbled back, slivers of broken glass digging into his bare feet until he fell back with a cry to the ground, curling up in a ball and continuing to scream with his eyes fixed on the window. 

 

Frank jumped awake at the sound of a scream and smashing glass. He looked at the bed beside him to see Gerard wasn’t there. He jumped out of bed and threw on some boxers before he ran up the stairs towards the sound of the scream. He found Gerard on the floor with what looked like broken glass around him. He moved over to Gerard and shushed him gently, trying to be careful of the glass on the floor. Tony came out in his pajama pants to see what was going on with a concerned Linda close behind him.

 

Frank was totally focused on Gerard though. “What’s going on, babe? What happened?” 

 

Gerard was shaking, his eyes staring wide at the window and his arms wrapped around himself.

 

"What's going on?"

 

Mikey appeared in the doorway in boxer shorts and a t-shirt, rubbing his eyes sleepily. Frank moved to pull Gerard into his arms, telling him it was ok in a soft voice. 

 

“We’re not really sure.” Tony frowned and looked around as Linda turned on a light. 

 

As light filled the room, Gerard panicked. "NO NO HE'LL SEE, HE'LL GET ME..." He screamed before burying his face into Frank's chest. "Please no." He whimpered, shaking violently.

 

“Who will? What happened, Gee?” Frank cradled him and tried to calm him down.

 

"He's...he's out there. He's out there...oh God no."

 

“Who’s out there?” 

 

Gerard sobbed as he clung tight to Frank, short fingernails digging into the other boy's biceps. After a moment he looked up at Frank, then around at the others in the room before bringing his eyes back to Frank's. Lip trembling and tears spilling down his cheeks, he whispered.

 

"D-dad."

 

Before breaking down into desperate sobs again and hiding in Frank's chest.

 

"Oh shit!..."

 

Mikey hissed, looking over at the window...though he couldn't see anything but a reflection of the brightly lit kitchen in the glass.

 

"He must've followed us back from the diner or something."

 

Gerard shivered in Frank's arms.

 

"Please don't let him g-get me...please."

 

Frank cuddled Gerard close to him and kissed the side of his head. “He won’t get anywhere near you.” 

 

Tony looked personally offended that the brothers’ father would show up and went to check outside, grabbing a bat on the way towards the back door. Frank watched his father carefully. 

 

Linda shushed Gerard gently and started cleaning up. She looked at his foot worriedly. “You alright sweetie? Let me see.”  

 

Gerard whimpered, pulling his knees up to his chest and his feet away from Linda, smearing blood on the tiled floor and crying out at the pain. "Hurts." He sobbed into Frank's chest.

 

“I know, it’s ok. Let mom have a look so she can make sure there’s no glass stuck in your foot.” Frank said barely above a whisper. Linda didn’t reach out to touch Gerard, she held out her hands and waited for him to come to her. Gerard sniffed, his whole body trembling as he slowly moved his feet back toward Linda. He knew there was glass in his feet...he could feel it. Linda gently lifted one of his feet a little to get a better look and frowned deeply. 

 

“Mikey, can you go to the bathroom and find the tweezers, they should be on the counter, and a dark coloured towel or cloth?” Linda looked up at him. 

 

"But you don't know him. He'll f-find a w-way."

 

Mikey looked back at his distressed brother. "He won't Gee. You're safe."

 

Gerard just shook his head violently, pressing himself closer to Frank.

 

“Yes you are.” Frank brushed some loose strands of hair out of Gerard’s face. “You are safe here.” 

 

Gerard whimpered, his bottom lip trembling as he looked up with wide, scared eyes. "Y-you're sure?...he w-won't get me?"

 

"NO! No hospital, please don't make me, p-please Frank please?" Gerard panicked, gripping onto Frank tightly.

 

"Ok, ok. Easy. No hospitals." Frank nodded and looked pointedly at his mother. She threw her hands up in defeat. He looked back down at Gerard. "Promise me if something goes wrong and you need to go, that you'll let me take you though."

 

"I..." Gerard sniffed defeatedly. "I p-promise Frankie."

 

“Alright sweetie, I’ll clean this and try to bandage it a bit.” Linda said softly and went to find the stuff she needed. 

 

Gerard whimpered, shaking as his eyelids fluttered closed. "T-tired F-Frankie."

 

Frank kissed Gerard’s forehead and sat there, holding him quietly. “It’s ok, baby, you can sleep in a bit. Let Ma get your feet bandaged up at least and then I’ll take you back downstairs and you can sleep.”

 

"Frank?..." Mikey said nervously, backing away from the open back door. "Does your room have a lock?"

 

Frank looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, it does on both the outside door and the door into the house. Why?"

 

Mikey looked back at him with wide eyes. "Cause dad's coming and I don't mean yours."

 

Frank’s eyes went wide and Linda came wandering back out with the bandages. “Mom, downstairs. Now. Grab my cellphone when you get down there. It’s on the nightstand.” Frank got up and carefully picked Gerard up to carry him. “Come on you, I’ve got you. Let’s go, Mikey, lock the door behind you.” 

 

Mikey nodded, following Frank toward the basement door as Gerard started crying pitifully, his face buried in Frank's neck.

 

“It’s ok, Gee. You’ll be ok.” He carefully set Gerard down on the bed, taking the bandages from his Mother as she grabbed his cellphone and checked to make sure the outside door was locked. 

 

"GET OUT HERE YOU LITTLE SHITS! I'M GONNA BEAT THE FUCK OUTTA YOU, YA LITTLE BASTARDS!" Don roared as he started bashing the door in with all his weight. Gerard cowered into the sheets, tears streaming down his cheeks as he tried to make himself as small as possible. Mikey crawled onto the bed next to him, wrapping his arms around him and trying to quiet him. He looked at Frank. "Where'd your dad go?"

 

Frank’s eyes went wide. There was no way Tony would’ve let Don get past him. “I…...don’t know. Ma...”

 

“I’m calling.” she nodded as she dialed 9-1-1.  Frank looked at Gerard and Mikey. They both looked terrified, Gerard more so but he could see it in Mikey’s eyes. He looked at the door and at the brothers again, and at his mother. This was his family and he’d be damned if anyone would hurt them. 

 

"GONNA RIP YOUR FAGGOT HEADS OFF!..." Don bellowed as the top hinge gave way. He continued to kick and bash the door. "YOU'RE DEAD YOU LITTLE FREAKS!"

 

Frank looked at his mother again. “They’re on their way, five minutes, that’s all we need.” She whispered and moved over to the other boys. Frank wasn’t at all surprised she treated them as her own children, and it came as no surprised when she cuddled them both close to her and shushed Gerard’s whimpers and cries. “He’s not gonna get you, sweetie, you’ll be ok.” 

 

Frank glared at the door and glanced at the drawer he kept his gun in. He didn’t want to use it, that was the last thing he wanted, but he knew there was a chance he might have to. He wanted to lessen that chance if he could. Frank looked around and got up quickly to go move the heavy dresser in front of the door. The lock should hold for the five minutes but he’d rather not chance it. Mikey saw what Frank was doing and pulled out of Linda's arms to go help him. Gerard sobbed, trying to hide in Linda's robe. 

 

“It’s ok.” Linda shushed him. She watched Frank and Mikey move the dresser. Every bang on the door made them jump a little. They tried to be as fast as possible but Mikey was a skinny kid and Frank wasn’t very big. He was strong but there was a limit and that dresser was pushing it. They got it shoved against the door and backed away from it. Frank assessed it, unsure of how well it would hold. 

 

"Why aren't the cops here yet?" Mikey asked quietly. It wasn't the question he wanted to ask, but it was the closest he could come without breaking down at this point. 

 

"We'll hear them when they get here." Frank said and curled up on the floor by the bed. He patted the floor on the left of him for Mikey to sit. He decided it'd be easier to be able to reach the gun and put Mikey on the other side of him. He looked back at his mother and Gerard. 

 

"Do..." Mikey swallowed as he sat down next to Frank. "Do you think they'll get here b-before he gets in?"

 

Frank sighed and looked at the floor. "We'll be fine."

 

"How can you be sure?..."

 

Mikey asked, turning to look at Frank. "Dad's really strong...especially when he's angry." Gerard whimpered at their father being mentioned.

 

"Don't worry about it." Frank shook his head and looked at Mikey. "I promise you that we'll be alright, and I don't make promises I can't keep." 

 

Mikey nodded. "Ok but wh..."

 

"GONNA GUT YOU FREAKS!" Don yelled, interrupting Mikey and making Gerard squeak in fear. Frank sat there and waited. This was going to go one of two ways and he would wait to see which it would be.

 

Mikey was about to say something else, when the bottom lock on the door gave way and the dresser moved forward a couple of inches. "YOU'RE ALL DEAD MEAT!" Gerard whimpered and peed himself in fear.

 

Frank stared at the door and then at the nightstand. He didn't really want to, especially not with Gerard and Mikey here, but if that door was going to give he wasn't going to chance it. He reached over and opened it to dig out the gun his father had given him after his mother demanded they both keep one just in case. It was just a 9mm but it was all he needed. He'd never used it other than when Tony had made him go to the firing range and learn to use it properly. He reached down beside the nightstand under his chips and grabbed the clip. He kept them separate because he wasn't an idiot. You do not keep a loaded weapon in your house, that's just stupid. He glanced up at his mother who nodded that she understood. He wouldn't use it unless there was an immediate threat, like Mr. Way getting past that door. Linda knew that and Frank knew that. He sat back the way he had been before. Gun, now loaded, sitting on the floor beside him. 

 

"Just you try me, you fuck, not in my house." Frank grumbled under his breath. Then he had the vague realization that...Gerard knew about the gun, Frank had told him. Mikey, however, did not. He looked at the younger boy to see how he felt about the sight of the weapon.

 

Mikey eyed the weapon warily, then looked up at Frank. "You're...you're gonna shoot him?" He whispered, worried about his frightened brother overhearing him. The dresser moved another inch, Don pushing his fingers through the gap between the door and doorframe.

 

“Only if I have to and I don’t shoot to kill, I’m not letting him hurt either of you.” Frank said softly and felt his mother’s hand in his hair for a second, ruffling it approvingly and reassuring him. “If I aim right he’s going nowhere but he’ll live so his ass can be thrown in jail where he belongs.”

 

The dresser shifted forward suddenly and Don was pushing his way into the room, face red with rage. Gerard's eyes rolled back as he passed out in Linda's arms. Don growled as he launched himself toward the bed, fingers aimed for Gerard's throat. Frank reacted quickly, aiming for his shoulder, the one facing him the most so he’d be less likely to miss, and firing without hesitation. 

 

Don roared as he was spun around, his attention suddenly switched from his son to the boy with the gun."YOU'RE DEAD FREAK!" He yelled as he barrelled toward Frank. 

 

Frank shot him in the knee and shrank back into the edge of the bed. “I don’t fucking think so.” Frank paused as he heard the sirens finally. He grumbled, he’d have words for them when they got there. 

 

Don was on the ground now, clutching his knee and growling obscenities. Mikey huddled closer to Frank, shaking a little. "I n-never thought..." He trailed off with tears on his face. 

 

Frank looked at him, he saw how scared he was, and he put his arms around Mikey. Hugging him and trying to calm him down a bit. “It’s ok, you’re safe now.” He looked back at his mother, still holding onto Gerard and she nodded.

 

He vaguely heard police in the house, and he sighed in some amount of relief but knew chaos was going to ensue and million questions would be asked of everyone before they decided whether or not to arrest Frank as well. Mikey looked up at the bed, at Gerard unconscious in Linda's lap and started to cry, more out of relief than anything as he knew that his brother was safe now. 

 

"Fucking cry baby." Don growled out through gritted teeth.

 

“No one asked you, asshole. Shut it.” Frank glared at him before turning his attention back to Mikey. He stood up and sort of picked Mikey up with him but only to put him on the bed with his brother. Linda offered to let Mikey replace her so he could hold him. Mikey nodded, pulling Gerard into his lap and holding him close. Gerard stirred slightly, whimpering and Mikey hushed him, combing his fingers through his brother's soft hair. 

 

As the police came down the stairs, Frank’s attention shifted to focus on that. One of them asked him to put down the gun and put his hands up. He complied easily and watched as they picked Mikey and Gerard’s father up to take him upstairs. He couldn’t help the happy feeling as they cuffed him before they did it. They knew he was an unwelcome intruder and would handle him accordingly. The room became a mess of people and Frank was handcuffed too until they were sure of what happened, simply on principle of he had a weapon and Mr. Way had gunshot wounds. 

 

"He was just protecting us..." Mikey said defensively. "Let him go."

 

The cop holding onto Frank looked at one of the others, who shrugged and look at Linda for a confirmation that this was the case. She nodded and they looked at Frank. 

 

“Self-Defense?” the other asked. 

 

“Self-Defense and defending my family, yes.” Frank said as he looked between them and the others. 

 

“We’ll need a full statement but it honestly looks like self-defense and the other guy reeks of alcohol.” The one holding onto Frank said as he undid his cuffs. Frank moved away a bit and turned around to face them. The cop looked at Gerard and frowned. “Is he hurt?” 

 

“Passed out from fright, overstressed I think, and he stepped on some glass earlier when he dropped a glass when he saw him outside.” Linda looked at Gerard in concern. “But he doesn’t like hospitals and it didn’t look bad so we promised him he wouldn’t have to go if it wasn’t serious.” 

 

The cop nodded. “We’ll have a paramedic come in here and look at him.”

 

Linda nodded. “Where is my husband? He went outside and we haven’t seen him since.” 

 

“Tony?” The other cop asked, and Linda nodded. “He’d been knocked out, he’s fine, they are checking him over just to be sure but he’s alright.” 

 

Gerard whined, his eyes fluttering open. He looked around and whimpered, pressing into Mikey's chest. Mikey looked down at him. "It's ok Gee, it's over..." He looked up. "Frank?...Gee needs you...”

 

Frank looked back at Gerard and immediately moved to sit down beside Mikey, holding his arms out for him. “Come here, Gee.” Gerard made a small happy noise and crawled into Frank's lap, pulling his knees up to his chest and curling up, his thumb sipping into mouth. He looked up at Frank with wide, innocent eyes. Frank smiled gently at him and kissed his forehead. “You’re ok now. I told you I’d keep you safe.” Gerard nodded slightly, sucking contentedly on his thumb. Frank raised an eyebrow but shook his head and didn’t say anything. Gerard was stressed out and he’d ask him about it later when he was feeling better. 

 

A paramedic came in as the cops buggered off outside finally, saying they’d like to talk to Linda and they’d take her to Tony. The paramedic kneeled on the floor by the edge of the bed with her bag and looked at Frank. “His feet?” Frank nodded and moved the blanket so she could look at his feet and make sure Linda had been right that they weren’t too bad. She looked up at Gerard and gave a small smile. “I’m just gonna look at your feet, ok honey?” 

 

Gerard whimpered quietly but nodded after a moment. Mikey moved to whisper in Frank's ear. "I think Gee...I think he peed himself before." The paramedic went about looking at Gerard’s feet carefully and Frank looked at Mikey. He nodded and shrugged. 

 

“I’ll get him into the bath and some clean clothes later. It’s fine, he was scared, I really don’t blame him.” Frank said as quietly as he could. Gerard cried out, jolting as he wrenched his foot back sharply, tears springing to his eyes. Frank looked down at him and shushed him quietly. “It’s ok, Gee, she’s just trying to make sure you’re alright. Ok? Come on, let her see.” The paramedic smiled and patiently waited for Gerard to give her his foot back. Gerard pouted at Frank around his thumb, but slowly moved his foot back to where it had been before.

 

The paramedic tried to work as quick as possible. "It doesn't look too bad. Just gonna be tender for a while obviously so try to stay off your feet." Frank nodded and cuddled Gerard close to him as she bandaged his feet properly and went back upstairs.

 

Gerard yawned wide, squeaking slightly then looking up at Frank with wide eyes. "Is it...is it over n-now?"

 

"Yeah, I think it is." Frank nodded and smiled at him. "How about a nice warm bubble bath and then sleep? We'll just have to keep your feet dry."

 

Gerard nodded softly. "I like bubbles." He mumbled around his thumb. 

 

"Alright, come on then." Frank scooped him up in a bundle in his arms to carry him to the bathroom. It was an awkward way to carry someone taller than him but Gerard wasn't difficult to carry. Gerard lay his head against Frank's shoulder, nuzzling into his neck. Frank carried him into the bathroom and carefully set him down to run a warm bath. He tested the water with his hand and made it a little cooler than he liked so it wouldn't be too hot for Gerard. He added the bubbles and waited for the tub to fill. Once it had he turned off the water and turned to Gerard. 

 

"Ok, baby, time to get this off and get you in the tub." He carefully unwrapped the blanket from around Gerard.

 

Gerard shivered, curling in on himself. "C-cold Frankie."

 

“You’ll be warm in the water. Come on, you gotta get undressed and then you can sit in the bubbles and warm water and I’ll get you some warm soft jammies. Ok?” 

 

Gerard nodded a little, wriggling to get his shirt off. "Will you come in with me Frankie?...please?"

 

Frank nodded and helped Gerard get his shirt over his head. “In a minute if you want me too.” 

 

"Yes Frankie." Gerard's fingers moved to the lacy top of his panties, a blush colouring his cheeks despite all the times Frank had seen him naked. Frank smiled a little at the blush and looked away for a minute. Gerard slipped down his panties, dropping them on the floor silently. He chewed his lip nervously, covering himself with one hand and reaching out to tap Frank on the shoulder with the other.

 

"I'm ready." He whispered. 

 

Frank turned and very gently scooped him up again to set him in the tub.”You’re gonna have to put your feet over the side so they don’t get wet. Ok?” 

 

Gerard nodded, holding the sides so he didn't slide as he settled his feet up on the edge. His arms trembled as he tried to stay in place. He whimpered. "F-Frankie?”

 

“You ok, Gee?” Frank gathered up Gerard’s clothes and the blanket into a pile he could pick up easier. Gerard shook his head, feeling his fingers slip on the wet porcelain. Suddenly he was falling back, his head going straight under the water, his yelp of surprise turning into frightened gurgling as he tried to pull himself back up. “Shit.” Frank panicked a bit, dropping everything to pull Gerard back up out of the water. He held him up and tried not to freak out, clearly everything else would be waiting until Gerard was done in the bath and that was the end of it. Gerard coughed and spluttered, his arms wrapping tight around Frank's neck as he shook. “It’s ok, baby, I’ve got you. You’re ok.” Frank shushed and soothed him, kicking himself internally for even letting go of Gerard in the first place. 

 

"I s-slipped F-Frankie."

 

“I know.” Frank looked at his feet. They were wet now but what the hell could he do about it. He’d have to rebandage them after and hope the bubble soap didn’t bother the open cuts on his feet. “You’re ok now though, I’m gonna set you down for a second so I can climb in, ok?”

 

Gerard sniffed, nodding shakily. "O-ok." 

 

Frank very carefully set Gerard down and quickly got undressed. He climbed in carefully to sit behind Gerard and lifted him up to set him in his lap so they both fit better. “This better?” Gerard nodded, laying his head back on Frank's shoulder and sliding his left thumb back into his mouth with a contented sigh.

 

He closed his eyes for a minute, then frowned and opened them again, pulling his thumb free from his mouth. "They're..." He took a breath and tried again. "They won't let him out...will they?"

 

Frank shook his head and hugged Gerard tight. “I don’t think so, not for a really long time anyways.” 

 

"And I'll be safe here, with you?" Gerard asked quietly, turning his head to look up at Frank hopefully.

 

“Always.” Frank smiled and kissed his forehead gently. Gerard smiled softly before slipping his thumb back into his mouth and closing his eyes. Frank starting humming softly and grabbed a cloth near the tub to dunk in the water and gently brush it over his skin. Frank knew the feeling was soothing and that was all he wanted for Gerard right now. 

 

Gerard let out a soft sigh, his eyes fluttering slightly. "Frankie?" He murmured.

 

“Yeah, Gee?” He looked down at him. 

 

Gerard pulled out his thumb again, his forehead creasing a little. "I think...I think he d-did something...bad." 

 

Frank raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

 

Gerard twisted so he could see Frank. "The day you took me home on your bike...when d-dad came outs-side to yell?..." He took a breath. "Mom wasn't there and...and I think dad might've d-done something. She...she should've been there." 

 

Frank frowned deeply and hugged tight. "We'll have to let the police know so they can look into it and find her. I'm sure she's alright though. Is she nice to you?"

 

Gerard shrugged slightly. "S-sometimes...but, but she m-mostly ignored what d-dad d-did."

 

Frank sighed. “Maybe she was afraid of him.” Frank looked around and frowned. “My mom has my phone. Shit.” 

 

Gerard whimpered slightly. "Do you...do you think she's ok?"

 

Frank thought about it for a second and nodded. “Yes, I think she’ll be alright.” He wasn’t really sure what to think but he wasn’t going to tell Gerard that. He hadn’t thought Mr. Way would come after Gerard but he had, he doubted he’d do anything to his wife but he’d surprised Frank before. He sincerely hoped she’d be alright, but either way his main concern was Gerard and Mikey. He and his family could give them a safe home and a proper family and that was the best he could hope for.

 

Gerard nodded. "I...I guess." He put his thumb back in his mouth and tried to relax. Frank started with the cloth again and rested his chin on top of Gerard’s head. Gerard yawned, feeling himself drifting off to sleep. 

 

Frank smiled as he heard the little yawn and felt Gerard relax against him. “Go to sleep, baby, I’ve got you.” Gerard hummed, his head lolling to the side with his thumb still in place between his pink lips.

 

~~~~~

 

Mikey couldn't sleep after what had happened, and although his father had been arrested, he was still jittery and was sat on his bed at 4am with a baseball bat in his lap, jumping at every little sound. At 5:15, he couldn't take any more. He grabbed his cellphone and dialled Andy's number. It rang twice then it was answered. Mikey spoke before Andy could.

 

"Andy, I need you."

 

"Woah woah, slow down. What's wrong?" Andy said groggily. 

 

Mikey dug his fingernails into his thigh to stop himself from crying. "I'm...I'm kinda freaking out and I'm sorry for calling you so early but I need you...I need to feel you...can you come round mine?...please?"

 

"It's ok...lucky my phone actually woke me up I guess. Send me the address and I'll try and be there as quick as I can. You'll be ok." Andy looked at the time and shook his head. He wasn't sure what was going on but Mikey sounded really scared.

 

"Thank you Andy." Mikey said quietly, then hung up and typed out a quick text with his address and two kisses. He hesitated, looking at the kisses before deleting them and pressing send. He slid the cell into his pocket and quietly left his room to go wait in the living room so the whole house wasn't woken up when Andy arrived. He sat on the window seat and watched the street through a crack in the curtains, watching the sky lighten as a new day began.

 

Andy looked at the address and nodded. Not too far. He could walk. He got dressed quickly and headed out the door as he pulled on his jacket. It was a little cool still but it felt nice. He was worried about Mikey though. He kind of speed-walked to the street Mikey said he lived on. He looked at his phone and wandered down to the house with the right number on it. He raised an eyebrow at seeing what looked like the cook's bike in the driveway but texted Mikey. 

 

*I'm here...think I have the right house.*

 

He walked up toward the front of the house. 

 

Mikey opened the door before Andy could knock. He looked at him with wide, slightly tear stained eyes and a trembling lip. "Hi." He murmured quietly. Andy frowned deeply at the look on Mikey's face and moved forward to wrap him up in a tight hug. Mikey tensed for a second, then went limp in the older boy's arms, burying his face into Andy's neck and sobbing softly. 

 

Andy sighed and moved them both forward a bit to close the front door. He looked down at Mikey and kissed the side of his head. "It's ok."

 

Mikey shook his head against Andy's shoulder. "No it's not. Dad found us and he hurt Frank's dad and scared Gee half to death and Gee's hurt and I...I just don't know how to help. I don't know what to do." He babbled before sobbing heavily and clinging to Andy like he was a life raft.

 

“You be there for your brother when he needs you. Help where you can but it’s not just on you, ok?” Andy wasn’t sure what was going on but it didn’t sound good and Mikey was really upset about it. “So maybe it’s not ok right now, but it will be and I’m here for you if you need me.” 

 

Mikey sniffed, looking up. "Really?...would you...help me take my mind off things?" He asked, a small smirk appearing on his face. "I need you now."

 

Andy paused for a second in concern but the more he thought about it the more he realized he couldn't argue with Mikey. From the sounds of it, it seemed like he could use a distraction. "Whatever you need, baby."

 

Mikey took Andy's hand and pulled him toward the stairs. "Come on, I'll show you my room." Andy let himself be led towards Mikey’s room and smiled at him. Mikey led him inside and quietly closed the door, before pressing Andy back against it and kissing him hard, his knee pushing between the older boy's legs, forcing him to spread them. Andy gasped a little in surprise and complied with what Mikey wanted, kissing him back and reaching out to grab a hold of his hips. 

 

After a minute, Mikey pulled back, panting. "I wanna fuck you...can I fuck you?...please?" Andy groaned and nodded, shocked but not arguing because it sounded so good right now. Mikey pulled Andy away from the door and pushed him toward the bed. "Take your clothes off."

 

Andy shrugged off his jacket and grinned a little as he pulled his shirt over his head but moved much slower with his jeans. Teasing Mikey just a little. Mikey watched him for a moment, enjoying the show before starting to pull off his own shirt. He liked the ink he could see,  and later he would enjoy licking every inch of it...but for now he just needed to get naked and get inside the other boy as quick as possible. Andy kicked his jeans away and his boxers with them. He looked at Mikey and waited to see what the boy was going to do to him. 

 

"Get on the bed...hands and knees." Mikey's said with a little growl in his voice. He was already incredibly turned on and he wanted to get Andy there too. Andy couldn’t help the tingly feeling that sent through his body, he kind of liked Mikey like this and was slowly getting over the surprise of him not being quite as sweet and cute as he looked. He crawled up onto the bed like he’d been told and waited. Mikey pushed down his pyjama pants, revealing that he had no underwear...and an extremely hard cock. He stepped up to the side of the bed and wrapped his thin fingers around his thick length. He saw Andy lick his lips, his eyes wide.

 

"Like what you see?" He smirked and Andy nodded with a crooked little grin. Mikey stroked himself slowly. "You wanna taste?" He stepped closer to the bed. "Come here."

 

Andy crawled over like he'd been told to, looking up at Mikey and waiting. Mikey reached out the hand that wasn't around his own cock and tangled it in Andy's hair, pulling him forward gently. "Suck me babe...get me nice and wet, then I'll eat you out and fuck you hard. Sound good?"

 

Andy nodded and opened his mouth as Mikey pulled him forward, teasing him a little before taking him in his mouth. Mikey groaned low, letting go of his cock so he could gently hold Andy's head with both hands and thrust his hips slightly. He didn't want to hurt him, but fuck that felt good. 

 

"Oh yeah, you're s...*uh*...so good at th-this." Andy hummed happily at the praise and put his hands on Mikey's thighs to get a better angle. "You better stop unless you want a mouthful." Mikey said with a chuckle, moaning right after. Andy pulled off and looked up at Mikey, a crooked smile on his lips. Mikey raised an eyebrow. "That what you want?...or do you want my cock in your tight ass."

 

"Want you...fuck me...please." Andy shifted back a bit, smile still clinging to his lips.

 

Mikey nodded, knowingly. "Get on your hands and knees. I'm gonna open you up with my tongue." 

 

Andy shuddered at the thought and did as he was told, leaning forwards so he was resting on his elbows instead of his hands. Mikey licked his lips and crawled onto the bed behind the older boy. He squeezed both of Andy's cheeks, spreading them apart before leaning in to run his tongue flat over the tight puckered muscle revealed. Andy moaned quietly and closed his eyes. Mikey decided that he wanted to get the house to himself sometime so he could make Andy scream, but for now he was happy with the soft noises he drew as he licked around the rim, then pushed the tip of his tongue inside. Andy moaned a little bit louder but stayed quiet and tried to stay still. Mikey pushed his tongue in further, pressing a finger in beside it as far as it would go. Andy let out a soft open mouthed moan and gasped a little at the feeling.

 

"You like that babe?" Mikey said with a smirk, pushing a second finger in and twisting them inside.

 

"Y...yes..." Andy's breath caught and he groaned.

 

"You want a third, or you want my cock?"

 

"Holy fuck...you...please...want you." He lifted his head and looked back at Mikey. Mikey winked, crooking his fingers into Andy's prostate...just to watch the boy tremble. Andy gasped and whined a little, his eyes pleading with Mikey.

 

"Alright alright..." Mikey said with a chuckle, carefully removing his fingers and reaching over to his nightstand for the almost empty lube bottle. He popped the cap and squirted some into his hand before dropping the bottle and giving his cock a couple of quick strokes. He wiped his hand on his sheets then used both hands to spread Andy's cheeks again and lined himself up. "Ready?"

 

Andy nodded and smiled at him. Mikey smiled back, squeezing Andy's cheeks as he pressed himself inside, moaning quietly at the tight heat. "Fuck..." He groaned and pushed back a little, making him bite the inside of his lip and furrow his brow. Nope, too fast. He fought to stay still and wait for Mikey.

 

Mikey gently rubbed Andy's hips soothingly. "Do you want me to stop?"

 

Andy shook his head. "No...just shouldn't have tried to move...'M fine."

 

"I'll go slow, just relax. You want me to stop...tell me." Mikey slowly continued to push in, his fingers gently massaging the older boy's hips to help him relax. He didn't want to hurt him. Mikey stopped when he bottomed out, leaning forward over Andy's back, peppering his pale slick skin and the tattoos he could reach with kisses, while he waited for the older boy to adjust to him. "Take your time. Tell me when you're ready." 

 

Andy nodded and took a deep, even breaths. He didn’t do anything for a few seconds, letting himself relax under Mikey’s touch. He moved a little and it didn’t hurt. He tried again and it felt good. He smiled faintly and hummed quietly. “Mikey...please.”

 

Mikey smiled, rubbing slow circles against Andy's hips for a moment or two more, before pulling out a couple of inches, then pushing slowly back in. The friction was driving him mad, and he really wanted to just fuck the boy hard and fast...but he wouldn't, not yet at least. Andy pushed back against him a little bit, shifting his weight only slightly and glancing back at Mikey. 

 

"More?" Mikey asked with a raised eyebrow.

 

Andy nodded and did it again. "Yeah."

 

Mikey leaned over Andy's back to press a kiss to the side of his neck. "Whatever you say..." He murmured before pulling almost all the way out, and thrusting back in...hard. "Like that?"

 

Andy groaned and nodded, the feeling sending little sparks through him. Mikey loved the sound, so pulled back and slammed in again. He hoped no one else in the house heard as the bed thumped slightly against the wall. Andy bit back the moans that threatened to escape him and whined quietly at the effort. 

 

"I’m gonna fuck you so hard..." Mikey muttered, speeding up his thrusts as he dug his fingertips into Andy's narrow hips. "Tell me if it’s too much."

 

Andy moaned and whined letting out a breathy and broken; "Ok." 

 

Mikey grinned, then started to speed up more, slamming into Andy's tight hole, hard and deep. He grunted with each thrust and he knew he wasn’t going to last long...he really needed this. Andy grabbed fistfuls of the sheets under him and let out little open mouthed gasps and meeting some of Mikey's movements. 

 

"Gonna...fill...you...up... _ so _ …good."

 

"Fuck....." Andy groaned and bit his lip hard trying to last a little longer. Mikey couldn’t hold on, that noise coming from the other boy's lips was enough to send him crashing over the edge with a moan that was definitely louder than it should be when so many other people were in asleep in the house. Andy gasped louder than he'd dared to before and pushed back against Mikey as he fell over the edge with him, shaking as the feeling crashed through him. "Shit..."

 

Mikey pulled Andy up against his chest and held him close, stroking his hands gently over his abs and panting as he came back down...softly cooing to the older boy close to his ear. "It’s ok *pant* baby...I...I got you." 

 

Andy hummed and turned his head to look up at Mikey and give him a soft smile. Mikey smiled back, pulling out slowly with a tiny wince at how sensitive he was now. He carefully eased Andy over onto his side, and out of his mess.

  
  
"Rest babe, I’ll fetch a cloth." He leaned in to press a small kiss to the boy's forehead, then climbed off the bed and headed to the bathroom. Andy nodded, mostly to himself and watched Mikey go. He smiled a little wider and shook his head. Mikey cleaned himself up with a wet rag, then rinsed it out and took it back through to the bedroom, along with a dry towel. He smiled as he walked in and saw that Andy had fallen asleep. Carefully and quietly, he cleaned as much of the cum from Andy's body as he could without waking him, dropped the rag onto the floor by the bed, then dried him off and lay the towel over the stained sheets before climbing onto the bed and pulling the blanket up over them both. He curled up into Andy's side and softly kissed his cheek, then closed his eyes tiredly and sighed in satisfaction.

  
  
"Night babe." He murmured, before slipping into a deep and peaceful sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gerard yawned again, snuggling in happily. "Now I caught yawns though...can I sleeps on you?"
> 
> "Of course." Frank shifted to lean back against the pillows and moved Gerard with him. Gerard whined slightly, tensing up for a second before going limp in Frank’s arms and letting out a soft sigh. "Go to sleep, baby." Frank mumbled quietly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***thePetetoherPatrick***  
> I'm sorry this took so long to write and then to post. Honestly finding time or the focus to do it has been a little difficult and I've been on the go a lot more. I do plan on writing more often again. I miss it alot and I miss you guys. This is the last chapter of this and it's a long one so I hope you enjoy it. ^-^

Gerard woke up feeling warm and safe...for the first time in forever. He wriggled and squirmed until he was facing Frank, who was still asleep with one arm draped over Gerard’s waist. Gerard slipped one thumb into his mouth, and lay there staring at Frank. He was still surprised that someone as wonderful as Frankie had chosen to be with a mess like him, he didn’t understand it, but he wouldn’t argue. 

 

Gerard was feeling something other than warm and safe right now too, something he hadn’t felt comfortable in sharing for fear of ridicule...he hoped that Frank would take it well. Gerard was feeling...little. He had found comfort in little-space several times in the past, but he’d never found someone willing to accept that side of him. Maybe Frank was the one.

 

He never went  _ really _ little...he wasn’t into wearing diapers and sleeping in a cot or anything, cause that was just weird...but he would usually slip down to about 7 or 8 years old, and usually he would be there for quite a while. Sucking happily on his thumb, he watched as Frank started to stir awake. 

 

Frank slowly woke up and came face to face with a familiar pretty face and the prettiest green eyes. He smiled and leaned forward to kiss Gerard's forehead. "Morning, Beautiful." Gerard smiled softly around his thumb...it was too early and he felt too little right now to talk very much.

 

"How you feeling today, baby?" Frank watched him and noticed the thumb in his mouth again. He smiled, it was still kind of cute. Gerard shrugged slightly. Truth be told, after last night he couldn't face being a big boy. Frank sighed and kissed his forehead. "No words today? You want breakfast then?" Gerard looked away a little and shook his head, no. "Not even bacon?" Frank raised an eyebrow. 

 

Gerard thought for a moment, then nodded, his eyes lighting up and a smile growing around his thumb. Bacon sounded good right now. Frank smiled wider and pushed himself up out of bed to pull on some comfy pants. "Come on you. Up you get, we can go upstairs and I'll make you some coffee and bacon." Gerard pulled his thumb from his mouth and made grabby hands at Frank...he wasn’t sure he could walk with his feet so sore. Besides, he liked it when Frank carried him. Frank chuckled and grabbed a shirt for Gerard and held it up for him to put his arms through. "Clothes, gotta get some clothes on you. No freaking your brother out."

 

Gerard smiled softly and put his arms up. Frank slipped the tshirt up his arms and over his head. "Do you want a skirt or some comfy pants?" Frank asked him. Gerard nodded, pointing to the little white skirt sitting in the top of his bag by Frank’s dresser. Frank looked where Gerard pointed and went over to grab it. He kneeled beside the bed and held it out for Gerard to put his legs through. Gerard shuffled closer to the edge and put his feet through the top of the skirt, biting his lip at the thought of having to stand up to get the skirt over his hips. He pouted slightly, stuffing his thumb back in his mouth. Frank slipped the skirt up as far as it would go and stood up to wrap and arm around Gerard to lift him just enough to get the skirt up where it needed to be. Then he grinned and scooped Gerard up. 

 

"Let's go you." He kissed Gerard's face all over and chuckled. Gerard giggled around his thumb and clung to Frank’s shirt, resting his head against Frank’s shoulder. 

 

Frank carried him upstairs to sit him carefully on one of the stools at the kitchen counter so he could make him his breakfast. He pulled a pack of bacon out of the fridge and set up the coffee maker. Gerard watched with wide eyes and his thumb still tucked snuggly between his pink lips. He swung his legs like the little kid he was right now and wondered absently if his paci was somewhere in his bag. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs and sudden fear made him whimper, his legs stopping their movement. 

 

Andy walked into the kitchen and stopped when he saw Gerard and Frank. "Uh, hey." He saw the look on Gerard's face and walked over to give him a gentle hug. "You look cute this morning." He offered a friendly smile and looked at Frank who seemed unbothered by someone hugging his  boyfriend. Gerard shuffled uncomfortably, looking to Frank for reassurance. 

 

Frank looked at Gerard. "You ok? He won't hurt you. I think he knows what Mikey and I would do to him."   


 

Andy nodded and looked at Gerard. "You're ok. I would never do anything to hurt you and if me hugging you makes you uncomfortable then I'll bugger off and not do that anymore." Gerard dropped his head to look at the floor...he didn’t want to be a bother, or make Mikey’s friend go away. Frank frowned at Gerard's reaction and nodded to Andy who gave him a gentle squeeze and moved away. "Need help?"

 

He asked Frank. "Sure, you can get the coffee mugs."

 

Gerard peeped up through his hair to watch as they moved around the kitchen. He wasn’t afraid of Andy as such...he just didn’t really know him. Andy was good looking and had tattoos like Frank, but there was just something that made Gerard nervous of him. Maybe it was his bright blue eyes...they reminded Gerard of someone he never wanted to think about again. He heard more footsteps and turned his head as Mikey walked in the room wearing a pair of basketball shorts and a faded Iron Maiden shirt. Mikey walked straight to him with a smile and wrapped him in a hug. Gerard practically purred as he snuggled against his brother's bony chest. Mikey pulled back a little to look at him.

 

"Morning Gee. How you feeling?..." Gerard shrugged slightly, his thumb still in place and looked over at Frank for help. Mikey raised an eyebrow and turned his attention to Frank, who was looking back at them. "Frank?...what’s going on?...everything ok?" Frank gave Mikey a hard glare. "Shut your mouth if you want bacon is what's going on. He's cute, he seems happy. Leave him be. Everything is fine but I think your sleepover buddy startled him."

 

Andy smiled innocently at Mikey. "I didn't mean to." 

 

Mikey frowned slightly, looking back at Gerard. "You’re ok though, right?..." He wanted to hear it from Gerard’s own mouth...but Gerard’s thumb was still firmly in place. Gerard only nodded. Mikey reached up to tuck Gerard’s hair behind his ear. "Talk to me Gee." Gerard looked down and Mikey looked at Frank for an explanation.

 

Frank grumbled under his breath. "You watch the bacon and give him his coffee, please." He looked at Andy, who nodded with a smile. Frank grabbed ahold of Mikey and hauled him into the front living room where no one would hear them. "What part of leave him be do you not grasp?" 

 

"What?...look, I’m his brother and I’m worried about him ok? After what happened with dad last night, don’t you think I’ve got a right to worry when Gee's not talking?" 

 

"Yes, I understand that but bugging is not going to make him talk. Besides I'm pretty sure I know what's going on and it has nothing to do with last night. It's not the first time he's done this since he's been here, just never this much so I think this actually means he's comfortable finally." Frank shook his head. "If I thought there was a reason to worry about it then I'd have said something, now wouldn't I?" 

 

Mikey frowned. "What are you talking about? I don’t understand."

 

Frank frowned and buried his face in his hands, grumbling and growling mostly to himself, before he looked up at Mikey. "I can't ask him about it right now and I won't but if what I know about it is right then right now Gerard is...I cannot believe I'm fucking explaining this to you...it's like a safe place in his mind where he can kind of be a little kid and not worry about anything. There's nothing wrong with it and there's nothing wrong with him, he just needs to escape and it's what keeps him sane I think. He's still Gerard and he still knows what's going on around him, he's just not an adult right now. Lots of people do it and sometimes...it's a kink thing...sometimes it's just a defense thing...he's been through a lot of shit and this is probably his coping mechanism. You cannot tell me you've never noticed that Gerard can get very child-like about some things."

 

Mikey tilted his head curiously. "He’s like a child?...but he’s 24.” He didn’t get it.

 

Frank groaned. "It's called being a Little and if you're that curious you can Google it because I am not having this conversation with you. I don't know just how Little he is but here's what I'm gonna say to you right now. Don't force him to talk if he doesn't want to, don't say shit about the thumb, and don't be a dick. As long as he's happy I don't care and I will protect him if that's what he needs." 

 

"Ok Ok..." Mikey held his hands up in surrender. "I’ll look it up and I won’t be a dick. But if I think he’s upset, I’m not just gonna let it go. I  _ am _ his brother you know."

 

"He's clearly not. There's a difference between showing concern and not knowing when to just leave it. He's fine. He was giggly and smiley with me this morning. He was happy to have someone else dress him and carry him upstairs so he wouldn't hurt his feet. He's ok, I promise you that he's ok and if he's not you'll be able to tell. The only thing that bothered him was Andy hugging him and that's because he doesn't know him...which...why is Andy in my house, by the way?"

 

Mikey’s eyes widened and he felt his face turn red. "I...I was upset...I needed him. I called and he came..." He looked down at the floor, shuffling his feet on the carpet. "I didn’t want to wake anyone up to ask. Sorry."

 

Frank snickered. "Uh huh and that has nothing to do with the noise that woke me up at like the asscrack of stupid? I wondered what the fuck was going on but I wasn't moving and fell back asleep." Frank shook his head and patted Mikey's shoulder. "As long as he gave it to you good who am I to judge. Fucking be quiet next time though. People like sleep." Frank shook his head and headed back for the kitchen.

 

Mikey stood stunned for a moment, then chased after him. He caught him at the kitchen door and grabbed his arm to stop him. He whispered in Frank’s ear. "Actually, I gave it to  _ him _ . Why do you think he’s walking funny this morning?" He smirked, then slipped past Frank into the room, walking over to join Andy at the table. 

 

Gerard was sat where he’d been sat before, but now he had a plate of bacon on the counter next to him, and a mug of milky coffee held between both hands as he sipped the hot sweet liquid carefully. His eyes widened as he saw his brother enter and his boyfriend in the doorway. He smiled at Frank happily before taking another sip. Frank looked at Mikey wide eyed, and frowning, for a second and then at Andy, before shaking his head and pushing the idea of that out of his head because no, he didn't need that. He looked at Gerard and smiled warmly before walking over to hug him tight and kiss his cheek gently. "Hey baby, how's your coffee?" Gerard smiled softly and nodded, humming quietly. "Good." Frank chuckled lightly and reached for Gerard's plate, playfully threatening to steal a piece of bacon just to bug Gerard. Gerard pouted, shaking his head and huffing at Frank.

 

"I would never, I don't eat it remember." Frank chuckled and snuggled into Gerard's neck. Gerard giggled, yipping slightly when he accidentally spilt a drop of coffee on his bare thigh. Luckily it wasn’t too hot, but it  _ was _ a waste of coffee. "Oh no." Frank leaned over and grabbed a towel off the counter to clean up any escaped coffee. Gerard’s lip wobbled as he saw a single drop of brown on his pretty white skirt. He sniffed, carefully setting the mug down on the counter. Frank looked at Gerard's face and then at the skirt. "Oh, no. Hey, it's ok. If we clean that up quick it won't stain but you'll have to wear something else for a little bit. Ok?" Gerard sniffed again, then nodded sadly.

 

Mikey looked up and watched the exchange from the table with interest and confusion. After a minute, he looked back down at the phone in his hand and carried on reading. Gerard was done with his coffee now, it had betrayed him so he decided to leave it and concentrate on his bacon. He was just bringing the first piece up to his mouth when...

 

"HOLY FUCK. WHAT THE..."

 

He jumped and squeaked, dropping his bacon and nearly falling off his chair at Mikey's sudden outburst. Everyone looked at Mikey and Mikey nearly disappeared under the table with embarrassment. 

 

"Sorry." He murmured, red faced. He held the phone in his lap so Frank couldn't see, cause he knew the older boy would question what he was looking at that elicited that reaction. As Frank's attention returned to Gerard, and the pout he had because of his lost bacon strip, Mikey sighed in relief, then noticed that Andy was staring at him with curious eyes and a single raised brow. Mikey sighed again and showed him the search results he had on his phone, and the article he'd found on little-space. He pointed to it, then nodded silently toward his brother. He saw the second realization dawned in Andy's eyes...it was almost funny how large they went. 

 

Frank glanced up at Mikey and frowned. "I'll deal with you in a minute." He shook his head and carried Gerard downstairs. 

 

Andy waited for them to disappear from sight downstairs. "Well.....I guess that explains a few things..." 

 

Mikey nodded. "I guess. How didn't I know that about him though?...I'm his brother, I should know these things."

 

Andy raised an eyebrow. "Well...I mean...maybe not to that extent. I would never have guessed that but he definitely is different and that makes sense now that you know. I don't think I'd guess that on my own though." 

 

"But...but why didn’t he tell me?...am I that horrible a brother that he couldn’t talk to me about it?"

 

Andy shrugged uncertainly. "Maybe he was afraid you'd judge him. I don't really know what your relationship with him is like but in general I think anyone is afraid people they care about will judge them for things that make them different."

 

Mikey frowned, looking down and sighing. "I guess. And I guess our relationship hasn’t been that great. Like I just found out the other day that he was scared of me..." He looked up sadly. "No wonder he couldn’t come to me."

 

Andy offered him a hug. "It'll be ok, you just gotta get used to each other again and relearn how to be family because from what I gather you didn't have great teachers on that front."

 

Mikey snorted slightly. "You can say that again. Do you think I should talk to him about this stuff?..." He pointed at the phone again. "I mean Frank said not to push him to talk, but I should be able to talk to my brother, right?...and he should be able to talk to me...don’t you think?" 

 

"I think that what Frank means is don't push him if he doesn't want to. And don't push him if he's being nonverbal like he is. If he wants to talk to you and answer your questions then yes. But don't push him too hard if he seems uncomfortable with it. He also seems to look to Frank to be his voice so that might be something you need to get used to. Frank is just being protective. You gotta think of what's going on in his head right now too. It's not just you and your brother anymore." 

 

Mikey sighed. "I don’t want to upset him...I just want to understand him." 

 

"And you can do that without upsetting him. Just watch his face, how he reacts when you say something. You'll figure it out, Mikey, just don't push and not all at once. Give him some time. He'll start to feel safer and more comfortable." Andy kissed Mikey's cheek. "And if you aren't sure look to Frank. Gerard does, and so can you. If you can't understand what Gerard is trying to tell you, especially when he's nonverbal, then Frank might or he'll let you know when to back off a bit."

 

"How do you know about this stuff?...I legit never heard of little-space til Frank mentioned it a few minutes ago."

 

"I'm just going by what I see Gerard doing right now and how Frank reacts, it's called being observant and applying the observations. But I've heard of it vaguely but never knew what it was called or much about it but I've heard more about the kinky part of it." Andy chuckled and shook his head.

 

Mikey’s eyes widened and he looked toward Frank’s bedroom door. "You don’t think..." He looked back at Andy. "Fuck. I don’t want to think about my brother doing weird kinky shit..." He shivered dramatically. "Please tell me they’re not?"

 

"I don't know and I'm not going to ask too many questions about it because they grown adults and they can do what they want."

 

"True, but please lie to me and tell me they’re  _ definitely  _ not doing that."

 

Andy chuckled. "I promise you that your brother probably doesn't call his boyfriend 'Daddy' while they do whatever various things to each other. And I highly doubt that Gerard acts like a slutty little kid during that." Andy grinned evilly and kissed Mikey's cheek again before ducking away from him in case he tried to swat him. 

 

Mikey pouted and rolled his eyes. "You know, you’re not too big to put over my knee young man." 

 

Andy laughed louder. "You may top but that doesn't mean I'm helpless, sweetheart, and I don't do spanking."

 

Mikey raised an eyebrow. "You ever tried it?"

 

"You'd be surprised."

 

"Tell me?...what’s the kinkiest thing you’ve done?"

 

"Uh...now listen...I've done a lot of dumb shit while drunk..." Andy blushed a little.

 

Mikey poked his arm. "Tell meeeee." He whined, giving puppy dog eyes.

 

"I...uh...dated a girl for a while and I wasn't aware when I asked her out that...she was a dominatrix..." Andy sighed. "I gave it a shot because I was usually drunk and who was I to judge."

 

Mikey stared wide eyed for a few seconds...then burst out into loud, obnoxious laughter, tears running from his eye just at the thought of it. "Oh my God!..." He wheezed. "Did she like tie you up and whip you?...were you her little bi-OW!..." He rubbed his arm where Andy just punched him, his laughter fading. "I thought  _ she _ was the one who liked causing pain." He whined, looking for a non existent bruise. 

 

"She did but that doesn't mean I liked it. There were a few things I wasn't opposed to but for the most part it's something I won't ever do again." Andy shook his head. "You are loud, shush. The whole house doesn't need to know."

 

"Sorry..."

 

Just then the door to Frank's room opened. Mikey looked up as Frank returned with Gerard in his arms. Gerard was now wearing a little pink skirt instead of the white. He had his head on Frank’s shoulder and was playing quietly with a loose thread on Frank’s shirt. There was a pink pacifier in his mouth. Mikey’s eyebrows rose but he decided not to comment on it.

 

"Hey Gee, you Ok?..." Gerard looked over at him and nodded slightly before going back to playing with the thread. Mikey looked at Frank. "Hey Frank."

 

Frank set Gerard back on his stool and took the coffee away for a minute to clean any coffee off the side of the cup. He set it in front of Gerard. "Now, be careful and don't spill that." He looked up at Mikey. "Hey, did you need something, Mikey?"

 

Mikey frowned slightly and looked down at his cup. "No..." He mumbled. "Just saying hi."

 

"Oh, I wasn't sure. Did you get some breakfast?" Frank looked at the kitchen and Gerard's abandoned bacon. He motioned to ask Gerard if he wanted it heated up again.

 

Gerard nodded slightly, pulling his paci from his mouth to take a sip of his coffee. Mikey had so many questions, but he knew Andy was right...he should wait until Gerard was back to being...well... _ Gerard _ . Frank picked up the plate and put it in the microwave for a bit and put it back in front of him. Andy leaned against Mikey a bit. 

 

Frank looked over at them. “What are you gonna do today?"

 

Mikey shrugged. "Don’t know...hang around here I guess. I don’t think your dad's planning to open the diner...not after last night's dramas..." Gerard whimpered quietly, a piece of bacon halfway to his mouth. "Where are your mom and dad anyway?...are they here?"

 

"I...actually don't know. I don't think they're opening the diner today but I didn't see them last night. I was busy with Gerard. I assume they are sleeping or something." Frank shrugged. He wasn't terribly worried about them.

 

Mikey nodded. "Why don’t you check. We can stay with Gee."

 

Frank nodded and wandered toward the back of his parents' room to check on them. He knocked gently and heard Tony tell him to come in. He opened the door to see his father curled up in bed for the first time in a years reading a book. "What's up?"

 

"Just seeing what's going on today."

 

"Your mother went out to put a sign on the diner door. I don't think any of us is up to working today and then she said she wanted to stop at the grocery store."

 

"Oh...ok."

 

"You guys alright?"

 

Frank nodded and smiled at him. "I made some bacon if you want some." 

 

"I think I'm alright for now, thank you though. You look after those boys and your mother should be home soon." 

 

Frank nodded and headed back out to the kitchen. Gerard had finished his bacon, and his coffee. He was sat on his stool with his paci in his mouth, trying to ignore the fact that his brother was feeling that Andy boy up under the table a few feet away. He felt really uncomfortable and was visibly relieved when Frank returned. He held out his arms making grabby hands at the other boy. 

 

Frank smiled at the little gesture and moved a little quicker to wrap Gerard up in a hug. "You alright?" Gerard pouted around his paci and shook his head, avoiding looking anywhere near his brother. "What's the matter?" Frank frowned. 

 

Gerard didn’t know how to tell him without actually... _ telling _ him. He frowned slightly, then let go of Frank with one hand to point to where Mikey’s hand was. It was currently on Andy’s dick beneath the kitchen table. 

 

Frank leaned a little and looked. "Oh......um...well I'm not gonna get in the middle of that...so how about you and me go watch a movie downstairs?" Gerard nodded quickly, wrapping his arms around Frank’s neck, and his legs around his waist. He  _ really _ hoped that Frankie had some Disney movies they could watch. Frank chuckled and lifted him up to carry him downstairs, making a face at Mikey on the way past that made Andy laugh. He carried Gerard downstairs to set him on the bed. "Alright, what do you wanna watch?" Gerard looked at Frank with wide, bright eyes...how did Frank expect him to answer that? Frank gestured to the piles of movies. "Do you wanna look through them again?"

 

Gerard nodded and crawled to the end of the bed where he could reach the DVDs. He looked over the titles for a minute, then reached out and grabbed something he hadn’t watched in a long time. He turned and crawled back to Frank, handing over the DVD case with a shy smile. Frank smiled and kissed his forehead as he took it from him before going to put it in the DVD player. Gerard sat on his knees with his paci between his soft pink lips, waiting for Frank to return to him. Frank set it all up and got the movie playing before he turned to crawl up on the bed with Gerard. He saw him sitting there and smiled warmly at him. He kissed his cheek gently and crawled up beside him, leaning against the wall and patting the bed beside him. Gerard looked at the spot Frank patted, then crawled straight into Frank’s lap, purring happily as he settled in. Frank smiled and put his arms loosely around Gerard as he settled in. Gerard sucked quietly on his paci as the movie played...he was feeling the littlest he ever had, and he liked it. He felt safe and warm and comfortable...and hard. He frowned slightly, squirming in Frank’s lap a little and trying to ignore how hard he was in his panties. 

 

Frank started to notice how much Gerard was moving around and he seemed uncomfortable. "You ok?" Frank asked him quietly. Gerard whimpered slightly, casting his eyes down. Frank raised an eyebrow at him. Gerard's cheeks pinked heavily. He closed his eyes and took the hem of his little pink skirt in his hands...and lifted it hesitantly to reveal his current problem. 

 

"Oh.....um..." Frank wasn't really sure what to do with Gerard the way he was right now. He wasn't entirely sure what was allowed or okay, or what Gerard was comfortable with. "What do you..." Gerard whined, pushing his skirt back down and burying his face in the crook of Frank’s neck. He hated getting hard when he was little...mostly cause there was usually no one there to help him. He hoped Frankie could help him. Frank furrowed his brows together and mulled it through his head. Gerard was still an adult and he clearly knew what was going on. There was nothing morally wrong with it and he clearly wanted help or he wouldn't have told Frank. He took a minute and decided where to draw the line definitively. He moved his hands up to Gerard's hips, leaning down to kiss his neck. "Ok. You want help?"

 

Gerard nodded against Frank’s shoulder, his fingers gripping at Frank’s shirt tightly. Frank reached up to pull on the paci gently, asking if he could take it away for a bit. Gerard opened his mouth wide, eyes looking up at Frank expectantly. Frank set it aside and kissed Gerard gently, carefully watching for any discomfort. Gerard kissed back hesitantly...he knew how to kiss, of  _ course  _ he did, but in his little-space, he just wasn’t used to anyone wanting to kiss him at all. He liked this...Frank made him feel wanted. Frank kissed him a little harder, testing the waters but tried to stay as gentle as he could, and started pushing the bottom hem of Gerard’s skirt up slowly. Gerard smiled into the kiss, his fingers gripping Frank’s shirt as he practically purred with how happy he was right now. Frank moved his mouth to Gerard's neck again, kissing gently as he pushed his hand up to brush over the bulge in Gerard's panties. Gerard moaned, his hips bucking up slightly into Frank’s touch. 

 

Frank pushed harder, palming him through the thin material. "That feel good, baby?" He whispered against Gerard's skin. 

 

Gerard whimpered, nodding as he felt his panties becoming damp with pre-cum. Frank lifted Gerard a little as he slid the panties down and got them off of him, before wrapping his hand around him and stroking him, slowly and gently at first. Gerard gasped, his mouth falling open and his eyes rolling back for a moment. It felt so good and Gerard knew that even if he could talk, he wouldn’t have the words right now. Frank took this as encouragement and kissed at Gerard's throat again as he moved his hand a little faster. Gerard moaned, loud and high pitched as he started to tremble, his completion rushing up on him like a freight train. He wasn’t going to last long like this. Frank loved that noise, he grinned against Gerard's skin. He moved his wrist as he stroked him, trying to pull more of those little noises out of him and help him finish. Gerard’s hips flicked, breathy moans and mewls slipping from his lips as his heart raced in his chest. 

 

Frank moved his hand a little faster and looked up at him, speaking softly between kissing him. "Come on, baby, I've got you. Come for me." Gerard mewled and whimpered and then, with a gasped cry...he came, body trembling as he covered Frank’s hand in white. Frank held onto Gerard and cuddled him close while he slowly came down from his orgasm. He kissed his forehead and wiped his hand off on the sheets that he was going to have to change again anyways. Gerard panted quietly as he came down, his body limp and slick with cooling sweat...he didn’t remember watching Beauty And The Beast ever being this exciting before. He shivered, pressing into Frank more for warmth. 

 

Frank pulled him tight against him and wrapped his arms around him, hugging him close. "You ok?" Gerard looked up with tired, heavily lidded eyes...and a blissful smile. He nodded and leaned up to kiss Frank chastely. Frank smiled and gently kissed him back. Gerard looked very sleepy and cute and it made Frank's heart turn to mush. "Nap time?" Gerard nodded, yawning with a little squeak as he curled up in Frank’s lap and closed his eyes. He could watch the movie another time. Within a minute, he was asleep.

 

Frank smiled and set him gently on the bed to tuck him into the comfy soft blankets. He kissed Gerard's forehead and quietly ventured upstairs for some of the coffee he never got to.

 

Mikey looked up from his own coffee. He was alone. "Hey." He said quietly.

 

Frank nodded and went over to the coffee. "Hey."

 

Mikey sipped his coffee, stealing himself for the conversation he knew was coming. "How’s Gee?"

 

"He's good, napping right now." Frank got his coffee and stood leaned against the counter drinking it.

 

"I’m sorry about before by the way...I didn’t mean to upset him." Mikey said with his eyes cast down.

 

"It's ok. He seems fine. It's gonna be a bit of a learning curve for all of us, Mikey."

 

"Yeah, but you had at least heard of this little-space thing...I had no idea it even existed."

 

"Well it'll be a steep learning curve then. Yes I'd at least heard of it but that doesn't help me much. I don't know how Little he's gone or what is ok with him so I have to guess most of it too. I just know that it puts a lot of mental stress on him to try and push too much." Frank sighed and shook his head. "You can't blame yourself either. Most people have no idea."

 

Mikey sipped his coffee quietly for a minute, thinking of all the things he wanted to ask, but not knowing what was an acceptable question and what wasn’t. After a while he looked up again. "He’s...vulnerable when he’s like this...isn’t he?"

 

"Um...to an extent, yes. He lets you know what's not ok, so far mostly just by whining and making faces. He'll point or nod when you ask him something. He's still Gerard, like adult Gerard is still in his head and he knows all of the things that he should. He's just like...a very intelligent kid with no way of conveying that. I don't know that he'll always be non-verbal when he's little though." Frank shrugged and watched Mikey thinking it over.

 

Mikey frowned. "Do you...do you think anyone’s ever, you know...taken advantage?"

 

"I...don't know. I think he's had at least one shitty relationship he doesn't like talking to me about but I don't know about  _ that _ ." Frank honestly didn't have an answer for that and the thought worried him. "I really hope not but unfortunately there are some real assholes out there that would." 

 

Mikey nodded, thinking again. His eyes widened as something came to his mind. "When he first came back. He mentioned that boss...do you think he..." He swallowed, feeling slightly sick at the thought. "Maybe there’s more than Gee told us."

 

"Hopefully not but we can try and ask him when he's not little, if you want." Frank frowned at his coffee. If that sleezebag had so much as touched Gerard, especially when he was Little, Frank was going to be pissed. 

 

"I think we should try...not sure if he’ll tell us though." 

 

"That's all we can really do though, is try. The rest is up to him."

 

Mikey nodded thoughtfully. "How old do you think he is right now?"

 

"I'm not really sure. To me the pacifier says maybe three but he's more interactive and cooperative than a three year old. But I'm not sure if that's the adult part of him or if it's that he's older than I think." Frank furrowed his brows together and tried to think about it.

 

"Do you think  _ he _ knows?"

 

"I don't know. I doubt it. He may see Gerard as childish but not know why. Somehow I doubt he has enough of a brain to comprehend that kind of thing, let alone have talked to the right kind of people to have heard of it." Frank shook his head.

 

Mikey nodded in agreement, then finished his coffee as he thought more, frowning at each new question his mind posed. "Frank...Gee can't get stuck like this, can he?...I mean, he's gonna be my big brother again...right?" He knew it was probably a dumb question, but he was genuinely worried about this. Like what if Gee got stuck as a 3 year old or whatever, and they had to get him a babysitter or something...Mikey somehow doubted that scenario, but he didn't know enough about this whole thing to totally dismiss the idea from his mind. 

 

"No, I don't think so. I've never heard of that at least if that helps." Frank highly doubted that would ever happen. He honestly hadn't ever heard of anything like that happening and Gerard had already gone back and forth between the two if he was honest just never this severely.

 

Mikey sighed in relief. "Good. I was kinda worried that if he couldn't snap out of it or whatever, then that could make it hard for him to testify against dad..." He looked up. "Do you think he can handle that?...even as big Gee?"

 

"I don't know. It's gonna be rough but I think if we're there to support him it'll make it easier at least on him. Big or Little."

 

Mikey stood up from the table and walked over to stand in front of Frank. "I'm...I really am sorry for being a dick to him before...I understand why you got mad at me..." He said quietly. "Do you reckon we could start again?...to try being friends?" He looked at Frank hopefully.

 

"I wasn't aware we ever weren't." Frank raised an eyebrow and looked up at Mikey. "I don't let just anyone into my home to stay with my family. You're Gee's brother. You've been through some shit. I know you're trying the best you can and learning."

 

Mikey smiled wide, relief clear on his young face. "Thank God! You know, I actually thought you hated me cause of how I treated Gee before. I'm glad you don't...I don't have that many friends,  and I liked thinking of you as one of them."

 

"Oh I was mad. Don't get me wrong. However, you did make the attempt to make up for it and you clearly mean no harm. I don't hate you though. I hate your father but not you." Frank sighed and shook his head. "You're a kid that no one thought to raise right, that's not on you. Everything you do from here on out though, that is on you. So hopefully you can learn." Frank smiled at him. "I'm more than happy to be your friend, Mikey."

 

Mikey grinned like the child he essentially still was and grabbed Frank into a hug. "Thank you thank you thank you!...I promise I won't let you down." Suddenly there was a dull thud, followed by a short pained scream from the direction of Frank's bedroom.

 

Frank jumped and looked towards the basement. He gently moved away from Mikey to run downstairs to see what was going on. "Gee?" 

 

Gerard was laying in a crumpled pile on the floor, whimpering slightly and looking at his bandaged feet reproachfully. He looked up as Frank appeared with Mikey right behind him. He pouted and pointedly at his feet. "Hurts." He mumbled quietly. He was still kinda feeling little, but not as little as before.

 

Frank rushed forward to scoop him up and set him back on the bed. "Well you're not supposed to walk on them right now. Of course it hurts." He looked to make sure they weren't bleeding again.

 

"I forgots." Gerard mumbled, looking down with pink cheeks.

 

"It's ok, baby. You're ok. What did you need?" 

 

"Cuddles?" Gerard looked up through his lashes with a shy smile on his lips.

 

Frank smiled and crawled up to kiss Gerard's cheek. "Sorry I wasn't here for cuddles. I was upstairs having coffee and talking to Mikey."   
  


Gerard giggled and looked over at his brother. "Hi Mikey."

 

Mikey grinned and waved. "Hi Gee, you OK?..." Gerard nodded, smiling softly. Mikey smiled back. "That's good."

 

Gerard giggled again, then looked back at Frank. "Cans we play Fwankie?" 

 

"Well what do you want to play?" Frank chuckled at the pure, innocently happy look on Gerard's face. He liked that. He glanced at Mikey to see the younger Way smiling too and it was a refreshing sight. 

 

Gerard thought for a minute, then started bouncing slightly in excitement. "Cans we play Shoots and Ladders, Fwankie?...pweeease?" 

 

"If you want to, I think I've got that here somewhere. Do you want Mikey to play with us?"

 

Gerard nodded enthusiastically. Mikey smiled happily, moving further into the room to join them.

 

"We used to play this when we were kids. Do you remember Gee?"

 

Gerard frowned slightly. "I's still a kid, silly."

 

Mikey chuckled slightly. "Of course...I'm just being silly." He hoped he hadn't upset Gerard...that was the last thing he wanted to do. Luckily, Gerard giggled again. 

 

"Silly billy."

 

Mikey smiled with relief, then looked to where Frank was digging around in his closet, presumably for the game. "You OK there Frank?...need any help?" 

 

"No, I'm good. It's...well...maybe I could use a little help...I'm a short ass apparently and someone put it up on the shelf." Frank huffed indignantly.

 

Mikey chuckled. "Out the way then  _ short ass _ ..." He moved over to Frank’s side and reached up, easily grabbing the little dust covered box. "See, my tall skinny ass has some uses around here after all." He handed the box over to Frank with a grin.

 

"Go sit with your brother before I kick your  _ tall skinny ass _ ." Frank chuckled and shooed him.

 

"You couldn’t reach..." Mikey giggled, hurrying away before Frank could try. He climbed onto the bed and grinned at Gerard, who was sat on his knees with his pacifier back in his mouth. "You ok Gee?" Gerard nodded, smiling behind his paci. 

 

Frank shook his head as he moved to join them and set up the board. He held up the game pieces to Gerard. "What colour do you wanna be?" Gerard pointed to the little pink rabbit in Frank’s right palm. Frank smiled and put that one in Gerard's hand. He held his hands up to Mikey. "Mikey?"

 

Mikey took a small blue disk, chuckling at the fact that none of the pieces actually matched. He remembered the Monopoly game when he and Gerard were growing up having a similar issue. He put his piece on the start square and looked at Gerard to do the same...though the older boy was currently stroking the small plastic rabbit with the tip of his finger like it was a pet. He looked so happy right then that it made Mikey smile wide.

 

Frank put a little green house, from a monopoly game he was sure, on the board and set the dice in the middle of the board. "Alright, Gee, do you wanna go first or do you want Mikey to?"

 

Gerard looked up, eyes wide like he’d forgotten what they were even doing. He giggled slightly, then reluctantly put down his rabbit on the start and picked up the dice. He shook it in his hand then held it up to Frank’s mouth, looking at him expectantly. Frank chuckled and blew on the dice, grinning at Gerard. Gerard giggled happily, then rolled the dice onto the board. After a few seconds, it came to a stop. Gerard leaned over to look at the tiny cube, then looked up at Frank questioningly. 

 

"What's the matter?"

 

Gerard huffed slightly and looked at the dice again. "Free?" He mumbled around his paci. Counting really wasn’t his thing when he was little.

 

Frank looked over at the dice and nodded. "Yeah, it's three."

 

Gerard smiled shyly, then put his thin fingertips around his little pink bunny piece. "One...two..." He moved the piece carefully. "Free." The pacifier was still trapped between his pink lips, so his words came out mumbled, but recognisable. When his counter was on the right square, he looked up at Frank for confirmation, and  _ hopefully _ ...praise. It would be a first if someone bothered to praise him though, so he tried not to be  _ too _ hopeful. 

 

"Good job, baby." Frank kissed his cheek gently and smiled. He was glad Gerard was trying to count even if it seemed to be hard for him. "Your turn, Mikey."

 

Gerard smiled happily, sucking his paci as he watched Mikey take his turn. Mikey rolled the dice and got a 5. He grinned and moved his piece. "Beat that Frankie boy!"

 

Frank gave him a stern look and picked up the dice to roll. He only got a four but he wasn't bothered by it. It was a good enough roll. 

 

Gerard looked at Frank and smiled, then pointed to his own chest. "Me?" He mumbled.

 

"Yes." Frank nodded.

 

Gerard smiled and picked up the dice. He rolled it, bouncing in excitement when it stopped on the six. "Sicks?" He asked Frank with wide eyes and a smile than nearly made his pacifier fall out.

 

"Yup. You're doing good. Go on. Move your little bunny." Frank smiled widely at Gerard's excitement, putting a finger up to stop the pacifier from falling out of the boy's mouth. 

 

Gerard giggled, then started his piece on its journey. "One...two...free...four...um...five?" He looked at Frank hesitantly.

 

Frank nodded to him. "One more."

 

Gerard nodded seriously, his eyes going back to the board. "Sicks..." His eyes went wide as he saw he was at the bottom of a... "LADDER!"

 

Frank laughed and nodded. "Up you go."

 

Gerard giggled, jumping his bunny up the rungs of the ladder til he was at the top. He then looked at Mikey and nodded, pointing to him with a smile behind his candy pink paci. "Mikey turn." He mumbled. 

 

Mikey smiled and nodded. "Yep. My turn..." He rolled the dice and it landed on a two. He made a rude noise at the low number...which made Gerard giggled, which in turn made Mikey grin wide...then he moved his piece before looking over at Frank. "You're turn man. If you get a five, you can join Gee up the ladder."   
  


Gerard started bouncing happily at the thought, and chanting a mumbled... "Five five five..."

 

Frank grinned a little and scooped up the dice to roll them. He rolled them gently and looked up at Gerard as it landed on five, just as his face lit up. Gerard squeed, bouncing on his knees, his skirt riding up his thighs. "You gots five!"

 

Frank laughed and moved his piece. "Yes, yes I did." He held up the dice for Gerard to take them. Gerard giggled and reached for the dice, but stopped part way, frowning slightly as he glanced down at the board. Within the next six squares, there were three shoots and only one ladder...he didn’t like this bit of the board.

 

Frank looked at the board and back up at Gerard. He choked a little when he noticed his skirt had ridden up to an almost dangerous and non-PG level. He gently tried to discreetly tug it back down a little as he spoke up. "It'll be ok, baby, just roll the dice." 

 

Mikey had noticed his brother's minor wardrobe malfunction, but ignored it. Gerard whimpered slightly, then nodded and did as he was told. The dice rolled for a moment and stopped on the two...one of the only squares that didn’t have something on it. He sighed in relief. "Two?" He said, looking up to Frank with wide eyes.

 

Frank nodded and motioned for him to move his piece. Gerard smiled and moved his little pink bunny, making it hop on the squares before looking to his brother.

 

"Mikey turn." He picked up the dice and handed it over. Mikey accepted the dice with a smile and rolled. It landed on the two and he grinned.

 

"Looks like I’m joining you..." He moved two, then up the ladder to join Frank. "Your turn." He handed the dice to Frank. 

 

Frank rolled the dice quietly, smiling at how simple this was and yet how happy it felt. Frank moved his piece and wrinkled up his nose as he moved it down the snake. "Of course." 

 

Gerard frowned. "Nasty snaky..." He leaned up to kiss Frank’s cheek softly. "You Ok Fwankie?" 

 

Frank smiled a little at Gerard's response to it. "Yeah I'm fine. It'll take more than a little snake to get to me." 

 

Gerard giggled. "Good, cause I don’t likes snakeys."

 

Frank scooped up the dice and gave them to Gerard. "Snakes aren't very nice are they? Here you go, baby."

 

"My turn?..." Gerard looked at the board and was still worried by the snakes ahead of him. "Be nice snakeys." He whispered before rolling the dice...a little too hard cause it rolled right off the edge of the bed, across the floor and straight under Frank’s dresser.

 

"Fuck sake Gee!" Mikey snapped. Gerard’s lip quivered for a moment, then he burst into tears.

 

Frank glared at Mikey and got off the bed to run over and retrieve the die from under the dresser. He brought it back with him and snapped at Mikey a little bit. "He didn't do it on purpose, Mikey. It's not a big deal." Frank set the die on the board and held his arms out for Gerard. "Shhh, come here. Mikey isn't really mad at you. It's ok."

 

Gerard sniffed, then climbed into Frank’s lap, shoving his thumb into his mouth as he had somehow lost his pacci when he started crying. He buried his face into Frank’s chest and clung to his shirt, small hiccuping sobs escaping his lips. Mikey sighed, rolling his eyes slightly.

 

"I’m sorry, force of habit I guess. I’ll try harder...sorry Gee."

 

Gerard kept his face hidden, he’d had enough of shoots and ladders... _ and Mikey _ , for one day. Frank shushed Gerard and wrapped an arm around him, reaching over to rummage through to blankets for the pacifier to give it back to Gerard. 

 

"I know you're used to yelling at him but all he did was drop the dice, Mikey, which he's supposed to do but he can't really control where they go after that." When he found the pacifier and held it up near Gerard's face. "I know it'll take some time for you to learn how to be normal but I promise you don't have to be angry or yell at him. If he does something I'll let him know that he did." 

 

Mikey raised an eyebrow. "You want me to be  _ normal _ when he’s the one sat in your lap wearing a skirt and sucking on a pacifier?...seriously?" He didn’t mean to be bitchy, but he didn’t like being called out by Frank for just acting the way he was used to acting. 

 

"He's not hurting anyone with his behaviour. He likes skirts and the pacifier makes him feel better. There is nothing wrong with that and he's in my lap because you scared him." Frank sighed and looked at the younger boy. "I'm not trying to be a dick, Mikey. I meant normal in the sense of someone who's not put in a position of having to treat someone he cares about shittily to protect himself. No one in this house is going to hurt either of you. I know that you know that kind of thing isn't normal." 

 

Mikey looked down, sighing heavily. "I know. I’m sorry..." He looked up timidly. "Look, why don’t I go get us all some ice cream and give you two a few minutes alone, yeah?...strawberry still your favourite Gee?" Gerard nodded slightly, but refused to come out of his hiding place. Mikey looked at Frank for his answer.

 

Frank shrugged. "Just chocolate is fine." 

 

Mikey sighed, he could tell ice cream wasn’t going to be enough of an apology, he’d have to think of something else on the way to the store. "Ok, I’ll be back in a bit."

 

He stood up from the bed and headed out of the room. Gerard shivered, looking up at Frank with wide sad eyes. "Why'm I such a freak Fwankie?"

 

"You're not a freak, baby, you're different but not a freak. There's nothing wrong with being different." He kissed Gerard's forehead.

 

"But, but I’m not  _ normal _ . Mikey said." Gerard sniffed.

 

"Mikey isn't normal either, though. Normal is highly overrated anyways."

 

"It is?" Gerard asked sweetly, tilting his head slightly to the right.

 

"Yes. Normal is rather boring and if everyone was normal the world would be an incredibly dull place." Frank smiled widely at him.

 

Gerard giggled slightly, hiccuping part way through. "I think Mikey’s dull..." He whispered as if it were a secret, hiccuping afterward. "And he’s a meany head."

 

"He's definitely mean but I think there's probably more to him than you know." Frank chuckled and shook his head.

 

Gerard hiccuped again. "I got hics Fwankie."

 

"Yes, I see this. How'd you get those?"

 

"Cause I was...cwying." Gerard looked down, hiccuping again.

 

Frank hugged him a little tighter. "It's alright, they'll go away. You feel ok now?"

 

"I feel...*hic*...Little. Can I..." Gerard trailed off, chewing his lip unsurely.

 

"What? You can tell me."

 

Gerard sniffed then hiccuped again, avoiding Frank’s eyes. "When I's Little, can I...call you...daddy?"

 

Frank raised an eyebrow at him a little bit. That was about the last thing he'd ever expected but it didn't bother him. It might take him a bit to get used to it and respond when Gerard called him that. "You can if you want to."

 

"You...you d-don’t think I’m a *hic*...freak now?"

 

"Nope." Frank snuggled his face close to Gerard's. "You're Little and you're cute and you're my baby, and there are others like you in the world."

 

Gerard gasped, looking up into Frank’s eyes. "There are?...do they have daddies too?"

 

Frank smiled and nodded. "Yes, some of them do. Some have mommies, though. Some haven't found theirs yet though."

 

Gerard tilted his head. "Who looks after them if they don’t have mommies or daddies?"

 

Frank thought about it for a minute. "I don't know. I mean, you can look after yourself sometimes. Maybe they do too."

 

Gerard considered this for a moment, then leaned his head against Frank’s chest with a sigh. "I’m happy I have you now...daddy. It’s better.  _ I’m _ better."

 

Frank rested his chin on the top of Gerard's head and smiled. "I'm happy too, baby. I'll take care of you and keep you safe."

 

"Thank you daddy..." Gerard yawned, closing his eyes. After a few seconds he opened them again and looked up at Frank. "Hey daddy, guess what?"

 

Frank grinned and looked down at him. "What?"

 

Gerard giggled. "My hics have gone..." He opened his mouth wide, lifting his chin so Frank could see to the back of his throat, then closed his mouth and grinned wide. "See daddy?"

 

Frank laughed and cuddled Gerard close to him. "Yes they are."

 

Gerard yawned again, snuggling in happily. "Now I caught yawns though...can I sleeps on you?"

 

"Of course." Frank shifted to lean back against the pillows and moved Gerard with him. Gerard whined slightly, tensing up for a second before going limp in Frank’s arms and letting out a soft sigh. "Go to sleep, baby." Frank mumbled quietly.

 

Gerard whimpered softly, nuzzling against Frank’s shirt. "Pacci?" He wasn’t sure when it had fallen out of his mouth again, or where it had gone. Frank smiled and rummaged around the bed until he found it again and held it up for Gerard. Sleepily, struggling to keep his eyes open now, Gerard opened his mouth to accept his pacifier. Frank set it in his mouth and smiled at him. His heart felt fluttery at how cute he was like this. Gerard closed his lips around it and smiled slightly as he drifted toward sleep. "Night daddy. Love you."

 

"Love you too." But Gerard didn’t hear him as he was already asleep.

 

~~~~~

 

Mikey came back with the ice creams and an idea on how to apologise properly, but when he opened Frank’s bedroom door with tubs of ice cream and spoons in hand, he was met with the sight of his brother and Frank both sleeping soundly on the bed. Quietly he stepped back out and closed the door. He smiled, things were still far from perfect between him and Gerard, but they were better, and given time he hoped everything would work out ok.

 

He took the ice creams up to the kitchen and put them in the freezer for later before heading to his room to call Andy. Yeah, everything was going to be ok. 


End file.
